Huskies Book Forty-One NCAA Prelim Entries

SEATTLE – For the third time in the past four seasons, the Husky track and field program has posted more than forty entries to the NCAA West Preliminary Championships. Coming off historic first- and third-place finishes for the men’s and women’s teams at the Pac-12 Championships, the Huskies will aim to keep the momentum going and qualify as many athletes as possible through to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
The Huskies will be sending thirty-nine athletes to the West Prelims, which runs from May 24-27, hosted by Sacramento State in Sacramento, Calif. The West Prelims are the path through which athletes reach the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June.
 
The top-48 athletes from the western half of the country, in every individual event, will compete over one or two rounds in Sacramento to try and finish in the top-12. Those that place in the top-12 continue on to the NCAA Outdoor final site in Austin, Texas from June 7-10.
 
While a number of Huskies could have declared in multiple events, only two will be pulling double-duty in Sacramento: Kaia Tupu-South and MaKayla Kelby both in the discus and shot put. All other Dawgs will focus on just one event, choosing the best path to potential NCAA success.
 
In addition to the West Prelim qualifiers, the NCAA Championship multi-event qualifiers were announced, as the top-24 nationally go straight through to Austin. Ida Eikeng, the school record-holder and third-ranked heptathlete in the NCAA this season, will make her third-straight NCAA appearance. Ollie Thorner will advance and compete in his second NCAA decathlon.
 
The current West Prelims format began in 2010 and from 2010-18 the high number of qualifiers for Washington was 38 in 2013. The Huskies have bettered that total in three of the past four seasons under Maurica and Andy Powell, with 45 entries in 2019, a record 49 in 2021, then 37 entries in 2022 and now 41 entries this season.
 
Men’s Entries (19)
Aaron Ahl – 1500m
Prestin Artis – Long Jump
Chandler Ault – Javelin
Jonathan Birchman – 400m Hurdles
Leo Daschbach – 10000m
Cass Elliott – 400m Hurdles
Sam Ellis – 800m
Jacob Englar – Pole Vault
Brian Fay –…