Sacramento, Calif. – Cathal Doyle and Matt Strangio highlight Day 3 of competition by earning their spots at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas on June 7-10th, 2023. 

Starting off the Pilot's third day of competition, Cathal Doyle qualifies for his third national championships in the men's 1500. His time of 3:39.66 placed him fifth in heat 2 and fifth overall to secure his third qualifier. His heat was fast, taking a season's best effort and hard close from Doyle to qualify for the championships. 

In the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase, Ahmed Sado put himself into contention to qualify and recorded a massive PR. Sado's time of 8:42.18 placed him 19th overall, and ninth in his heat to finish off a strong first season as a Pilot. Estanis Ruiz ran his second fastest mark of the season to finish 12th in heat 2 and 30th overall with a time of 8:50.85.

The Pilots' third day of competition concluded with the men's 5,000 meter which saw Matt Strangio qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, finishing fifth in heat 1 in a new PR of 13:30.16. Strangio held strong with the front pack, breaking off into a group of six athletes. In a kick finish, Strangio was able to grab the last auto-qualifier to Austin. In heat 2 of the 5,000 meter event, Zak Kirk (13:49.69) and Jonas Gertsen (14:12.38) earned finishes of 23rd and 39th overall, respectively. 

Laura Pellicoro will compete in the quarterfinal round of the women's 1500 meter run tomorrow, Saturday, May 27th at 5:15 P.M. The remainder of the week's schedule will be posted below. 

For more coverage and info, visit PortlandPilots.com. 

2023 NCAA West Preliminary

Sacramento, Calif. (Hornet Stadium) 

Saturday, May 27th

Women's 1500m (Quarterfinals) - 5:15 P.M. (PT)

Laura Pellicoro