NCAA

Men of Oregon Add Four NCAA Qualifiers

Men of Oregon Add Four NCAA Qualifiers


EUGENE, Ore. – The Men of Oregon picked up four NCAA qualifiers Friday evening at the NCAA West Preliminary in Sacramento, Calif. The Ducks started the day with a qualifying effort from their 4×100-meter relay, and went on to get national performances from Micah Williams (100 meters), Matthew Erickson (800 meters) and Alex Slenning (steeplechase).
 
Coupled with Rafael Raap in the decathlon, the UO men are sending five to the NCAA Championships (June 7-10) in Austin, Texas.
 
On the heels of its bronze finish at the Pac-12 Championships, the Ducks’ 4×100-meter relay secured a national qualifier in the first event on the track. The team of Williams, Ryan Mulholland, Xavier Nairne and PJ Ize-Iyamu, Jr., got the baton around the oval in 39.13 to win heat two, good for the fifth-fastest time of the day. The time was also just .05 off their season best.
 
Slenning produced a lifetime best of 8:34.29 and finished fifth in the first of three heats. With only the top three advancing automatically, he would have to wait out the next two races to see if his time held for one of the three at-large spots. Only Rob McManus of Montana would post a faster non-auto effort over the next two heats which meant Slenning held on as the final qualifier.
 
In addition to being a first-time NCAA qualifier, Slenning became the No. 10 performer in UO history in the steeplechase with Friday’s outing. The Portland, Ore., native entered the day with a best of 8:43.23 from 2019. He also began his postseason with a third-place finish at the conference meet.
 
Williams added a second qualifying performance but this time with a solo effort in the 100 meters. Out of lane two, he produced a season best of 10.04 to grab a top-three finish in the second of three heats. Williams’ time was good for fourth overall and marked his fastest of the year, surpassing his 10.13 from his outdoor opener at the Desert Heat Classic (April 29).
 
For the second time in as many races, Erickson posted a lifetime best with his 1:46.84 outing in heat one Friday. He made a charge down the final 100 meters to threaten a top-three spot but came up just short of Christopher Conrad of Missouri (1:46.79). Like Slenning in the steeplechase, Erickson had to sit by and wait for the final two heats to confirm his national spot.
 
The UO sophomore finished in sixth overall as the fastest on-time qualifier. The first heat produced four of the six-fastest times on the day. Erickson came into the meet…

CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at University of Oregon Athletics…