Alabama
NCAA East Preliminaries
Hilda Olemomoi Advances to National Championships on Second Day of East Prelims
5/23/2024 11:26:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
For the second-straight year, the Crimson Tide’s Olemomoi qualified for the national meet in the 10,000m
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The second day of the NCAA East Prelims featured the beginning of the women's competition at Kentucky's Outdoor Track and Field Complex. Women's 10,000-meter distance runner Hilda Olemomoi punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships behind a 32:53.64, second-place finish. The feat marks the second-straight year that the Trans-Nzoia, Kenya, native has advanced to Nationals in the 10,000-meter run.
Minutes before the 10,000-meter runners were to toe the line for the final event of the second day of East Preliminary action, the track was cleared for four hours due to storms that rolled into the area. Without missing a beat, Alabama's Olemomoi returned to the track and calmly ran away from the field – through a steady downpour of rain – to secure a second-place finish, effectively qualifying her for the national meet. Teammate Brenda Tuwei hovered within the top-12 threshold for majority of the race before ultimately finishing 28th (33:51.73).
Earlier in the evening, Crimson Tide sprinter Na'Taja Ballard used a 23.26 performance in the 200-meter dash to propel her to Saturday where she will have the opportunity to earn a top-12 finish and advance herself to Eugene, Ore., for the National Championships (June 5-8).
Alabama also had five student-athletes compete across four field events: hammer thrower Chandler Hayden, javelin thrower Aspen Arrowsmith, long jumpers Miracle Ailes and Caelyn Harris and shot putter Amani Heaven. Despite sitting in seventh at the conclusion of her long jump flight, Ailes ultimately landed just outside of the top-12 threshold that would advance to the National Championships. Three top-25 finishes were earned by the UA group (Hayden – hammer – 19th; Harris – long jump – 22nd; Heaven – shot put – 24th) despite missing the NCAA Championships qualifying mark.
Crimson Tide Top Finishes
- Hilda Olemomoi (32:53.64) closed Thursday's action in the 10,000 meters by securing a qualifying spot for Nationals, as teammate Brenda Tuwei hovered in the top-12 threshold for majority of the race before ultimately recording a 28th-place finish of 33:51.73
- Na'Taja Ballard earned an automatic qualifying spot for Saturday after clocking a 23.36 performance in the 200-meter dash, setting up an opportunity to advance to the National Championships
- Aspen Arrowsmith recorded a 43.84-meter mark (143-10) in the women's javelin as the freshman ended her rookie season with a 31st-place finish at the preliminary meet
- Chandler Hayden (19th | 58.88m | 193-2) fell just outside the National-Championships-qualifying-top-12 threshold in the hammer throw
- Caelyn Harris (6.09m | 19-11.75) finished 22nd in the long jump, while teammate Miracle Ailes (6.00m | 19-8.25) finished 26th
- Amani Heaven earned a top-25 finish (24th | 15.41m | 50-6.75) in the shot put
East Prelims: UA Men Final Day Preview
- Alabama returns to Kentucky's Outdoor Track and Field Complex Friday for the final day of the men's competition
- The third day of the East Prelims will start with the women's pole vault at 9 a.m. CT as Victoria Faber's event was rescheduled due to weather. The men's competition for the Crimson Tide will begin at 4 p.m. CT with the 4x100-meter relay.
- The Crimson Tide men will compete in seven track events on Friday
- Alabama will look to punch tickets to Eugene, Ore., in the 4x100-meter relay, the 3,000-meter steeplechase (Carson Burian), the 400 meters (Hasani Barr, Khaleb McRae, Samuel Ogazi), the 800 meters (Oussama El Bouchayby), the 400-meter hurdles (Clayton Elder, Corde Long, Chris Robinson), the 200 meters (Tarsis Orogot), the 5,000 meters (Hillary Cheruiyot), as well as the 4x400-meter relay
- Already qualified for Nationals are: Victor Kiprop and Dennis Kipruto in the 10,000m
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Players Mentioned
