TicketsCINCINNATI - Seventeen members of the University of Cincinnati track & field program will see their respective seasons continue next week as they have earned berths into the 2019 NCAA East Preliminary Round meet in Jacksonville, Fla., the governing body announced today. The Bearcats will send 10 women and seven men to compete in the opening rounds of the national event when competition begins Thursday, May 23, and concludes Saturday, May 25. Each competitor will be looking to advance to the NCAA Championship Finals that will be held June 5-8 in Austin, Texas.
// HOW IT WORKS
Jacksonville (East) and Sacramento (West) will welcome the Top 48 individuals and Top 24 relays from their respective regions to the competition next weekend with the Top 12 in all events advancing to the NCAA Finals in Texas. On the track, many events will have first round runs before running the quarterfinals on site with the semifinals and final being run in Eugene. The field events will be slightly different. In the horizontal events (high jump and pole vault), the competition will continue until 12 individuals (with ties broken for 12th place) remain. In all other field events, each competitor receives three attempts (jumps or throws) with the Top 12 moving on to Austin.
// IN FOR THE WOMEN
Four women will be taking part in multiple events, including both Haisha Bisiolu and Caisja Chandler. Bisiolu, a senior, has qualified individually in both the 200m and 400m competitions and will join Chandler, Faith Banks and Tiona Lattimore in the 4x100m relay. Chandler, the 2019 American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year both indoors and outdoors, will also race in the 100m and 200m events. Two women will throw in two events each, including All-American Annette Echikunwoke and freshman Malin Smith. Both women have qualified to compete in the shot put while Echikunwoke will take part in the hammer and Smith in the discus.
Four other women are set to compete in individual events with two each set to compete in the triple jump and two in the pole vault. Irati Mitxelena, the 2019 AAC champion, and Kennedy Marable will both take part in the triple jump with Brooke Catherine and Sadie Brass will compete in the pole vault.
// IN FOR THE MEN
Of the seven men set to compete, two have qualified for a pair of events each, including freshman Quincy Mitchell and sophomore Sam Meece. Mitchell will run in both the 100m and 200m events while Meece, the 2019 AAC hammer champion, will take part in both the hammer and discus. Other individuals set to compete include Marcus Abraham in the shot put; Aaron Bienenfeld, the 2019 AAC 10,000m champion, in the 5,000m; freshman Chris Borzor in the 200m; Andrew Schille in the 10,000m; and Andre Wright in the triple jump.
// CLOSE TO THE CUT LINE
Trying to reach the Top 12 in their respective events in the end goal for the meet in Jacksonville. Looking at the entries, three women hold season-best marks that place them currently in the Top 12, including Echikunwoke (#6 in the hammer); Chandler (#12 in the 100m) and the women's 4x100m relay team (#11). Several other marks attained this year are just outside the Top 12 as well. For the women, Chandler also ranks #16 in the 200m; Echikunwoke is #13 in the shot put and Mitxelena is #13 in the triple jump. On the men's side, Borzor is #14 in the 200m; Bienenfeld is #16 in the 5,000m; and Meece is #17 in the discus.
// NOTING SEVERAL BEARCATS
• Along with the rookies, four Bearcats will be making their debuts in the NCAA meet, including women's athletes Brass (PV) and Marable (TJ) and men's athletes Schille (10,000m) and Wright (TJ)
• Four Bearcats that captured AAC titles last weekend are in the East meet with three competing in their championship events, including Echikunwoke and Meece in the hammer and Mitxelena in the triple jump... Bienenfeld won the 10,000m, but is only racing the 5,000m
• Both Brass (PV) and Marable (TJ) posted marks at the AAC meet that ended up qualifying them for the East competition, including Brass, who cleared 4.01m to finish second in the conference meet and become just the seventh UC woman to clear four meters
• Echikunwoke is now stranger to this meet as she qualified to the national finals in the hammer in 2016 and the shot put in 2017 before redshirting last year's outdoor season
• Among freshmen, Borzor is the top-ranked rookie in the 200m while Chandler ranks third in the East in the 100m and fifth in the 200m
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will open competition Thursday with the men's hammer kicking things off at noon.
2019 NCAA East Preliminary Round Accepted Entries
Women (event ranking)
Faith Banks • 4x100m (11)
Haisha Bisiolu • 200m (t-47) & 400m (t-44) & 4x100m (11)
Sadie Brass • Pole Vault (t-39)
Brooke Catherine • Pole Vault (t-24)
Caisja Chandler • 100m (t-12) & 200m (16) & 4x100m (11)
Annette Echikunwoke • Shot Put (13) & Hammer (6)
Tiona Lattimore • 4x100m (11)
Kennedy Marable • Triple Jump (40)
Irati Mitxelena • Triple Jump (13)
Malin Smith • Shot Put (47) & Discus (39)
Men (event ranking)
Marcus Abraham • Shot Put (31)
Aaron Bieneneld • 5,000m (16)
Chris Borzor • 200m (14)
Sam Meece • Discus (17) & Hammer (t-25)
Quincy Mitchell • 100m (t-46) & 200m (t-39)
Andrew Schille • 10,000m (41)
Andre Wright • Triple Jump (t-44)
Bearcats Event Schedule
Thursday, May 23
12:00 pm • Hammer (M) • First Round • Meece • Top 12 advance to Austin
4:00 pm • Hammer (W) • First Round • Echikunwoke •Top 12 advance to Austin
6:30 pm • 100m (W) • First Round • Chandler
6:55 pm • 100m (M) • First Round • Mitchell
7:20 pm • 400m (W) • First Round • Bisiolu
9:40 pm • 10,000m (M) • Semifinal • Schille • Top 12 advance to Austin
Friday, May 24
12:00 pm • Discus (W) • First Round • Smith • Top 12 advance to Austin
4:00 pm • Discus (M) • Fist Round • Meece • Top 12 advance to Austin
5:00 pm • Pole Vault (W) • First Round • Brass & Catherine • Top 12 advance to Austin
5:30 pm • 400m (W) • Quarterfinal • Bisiolu • Top 12 advance to Austin
6:00 pm • 100m (W) • Quarterfinal • Chandler • Top 12 advance to Austin
6:15 pm • 100m (M) • Quarterfinal • Mitchell • Top 12 advance to Austin
7:30 pm • 200m (W) • First Round • Chandler & Bisiolu
7:55 pm • 200m (M) • First Round • Borzor & Mitchell
Saturday, May 25
2:45 pm • Shot Put (M) • First Round • Meece • Top 12 advance to Austin
3:00 pm • Triple Jump (W) • First Round • Marable & Mitxelena • Top 12 advance to Austin
5:15 pm • Shot Put (W) • First Round • Echikunwoke & Smith • Top 12 advance to Austin
6:00 pm • 4x100m (W) • Quarterfinal (Banks, Bisiolu, Chandler, Lattimore) • Top 12 advance to Austin
6:30 pm • Triple Jump (M) • First Round • Wright • Top 12 advance to Austin
7:35 pm • 200m (W) • Quarterfinal • Chandler & Bisiolu • Top 12 advance to Austin
7:50 pm • 200m (M) • Quarterfinal • Borzor & Mitchell • Top 12 advance to Austin
8:45 pm • 5,000m (M) • Quarterfinal • Bienenfeld • Top 12 advance to Austin
red indicates athletes will only compete in that race by qualifying from an early round
// HOW IT WORKS
Jacksonville (East) and Sacramento (West) will welcome the Top 48 individuals and Top 24 relays from their respective regions to the competition next weekend with the Top 12 in all events advancing to the NCAA Finals in Texas. On the track, many events will have first round runs before running the quarterfinals on site with the semifinals and final being run in Eugene. The field events will be slightly different. In the horizontal events (high jump and pole vault), the competition will continue until 12 individuals (with ties broken for 12th place) remain. In all other field events, each competitor receives three attempts (jumps or throws) with the Top 12 moving on to Austin.
// IN FOR THE WOMEN
Four women will be taking part in multiple events, including both Haisha Bisiolu and Caisja Chandler. Bisiolu, a senior, has qualified individually in both the 200m and 400m competitions and will join Chandler, Faith Banks and Tiona Lattimore in the 4x100m relay. Chandler, the 2019 American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year both indoors and outdoors, will also race in the 100m and 200m events. Two women will throw in two events each, including All-American Annette Echikunwoke and freshman Malin Smith. Both women have qualified to compete in the shot put while Echikunwoke will take part in the hammer and Smith in the discus.
Four other women are set to compete in individual events with two each set to compete in the triple jump and two in the pole vault. Irati Mitxelena, the 2019 AAC champion, and Kennedy Marable will both take part in the triple jump with Brooke Catherine and Sadie Brass will compete in the pole vault.
// IN FOR THE MEN
Of the seven men set to compete, two have qualified for a pair of events each, including freshman Quincy Mitchell and sophomore Sam Meece. Mitchell will run in both the 100m and 200m events while Meece, the 2019 AAC hammer champion, will take part in both the hammer and discus. Other individuals set to compete include Marcus Abraham in the shot put; Aaron Bienenfeld, the 2019 AAC 10,000m champion, in the 5,000m; freshman Chris Borzor in the 200m; Andrew Schille in the 10,000m; and Andre Wright in the triple jump.
// CLOSE TO THE CUT LINE
Trying to reach the Top 12 in their respective events in the end goal for the meet in Jacksonville. Looking at the entries, three women hold season-best marks that place them currently in the Top 12, including Echikunwoke (#6 in the hammer); Chandler (#12 in the 100m) and the women's 4x100m relay team (#11). Several other marks attained this year are just outside the Top 12 as well. For the women, Chandler also ranks #16 in the 200m; Echikunwoke is #13 in the shot put and Mitxelena is #13 in the triple jump. On the men's side, Borzor is #14 in the 200m; Bienenfeld is #16 in the 5,000m; and Meece is #17 in the discus.
// NOTING SEVERAL BEARCATS
• Along with the rookies, four Bearcats will be making their debuts in the NCAA meet, including women's athletes Brass (PV) and Marable (TJ) and men's athletes Schille (10,000m) and Wright (TJ)
• Four Bearcats that captured AAC titles last weekend are in the East meet with three competing in their championship events, including Echikunwoke and Meece in the hammer and Mitxelena in the triple jump... Bienenfeld won the 10,000m, but is only racing the 5,000m
• Both Brass (PV) and Marable (TJ) posted marks at the AAC meet that ended up qualifying them for the East competition, including Brass, who cleared 4.01m to finish second in the conference meet and become just the seventh UC woman to clear four meters
• Echikunwoke is now stranger to this meet as she qualified to the national finals in the hammer in 2016 and the shot put in 2017 before redshirting last year's outdoor season
• Among freshmen, Borzor is the top-ranked rookie in the 200m while Chandler ranks third in the East in the 100m and fifth in the 200m
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will open competition Thursday with the men's hammer kicking things off at noon.
2019 NCAA East Preliminary Round Accepted Entries
Women (event ranking)
Faith Banks • 4x100m (11)
Haisha Bisiolu • 200m (t-47) & 400m (t-44) & 4x100m (11)
Sadie Brass • Pole Vault (t-39)
Brooke Catherine • Pole Vault (t-24)
Caisja Chandler • 100m (t-12) & 200m (16) & 4x100m (11)
Annette Echikunwoke • Shot Put (13) & Hammer (6)
Tiona Lattimore • 4x100m (11)
Kennedy Marable • Triple Jump (40)
Irati Mitxelena • Triple Jump (13)
Malin Smith • Shot Put (47) & Discus (39)
Men (event ranking)
Marcus Abraham • Shot Put (31)
Aaron Bieneneld • 5,000m (16)
Chris Borzor • 200m (14)
Sam Meece • Discus (17) & Hammer (t-25)
Quincy Mitchell • 100m (t-46) & 200m (t-39)
Andrew Schille • 10,000m (41)
Andre Wright • Triple Jump (t-44)
Bearcats Event Schedule
Thursday, May 23
12:00 pm • Hammer (M) • First Round • Meece • Top 12 advance to Austin
4:00 pm • Hammer (W) • First Round • Echikunwoke •Top 12 advance to Austin
6:30 pm • 100m (W) • First Round • Chandler
6:55 pm • 100m (M) • First Round • Mitchell
7:20 pm • 400m (W) • First Round • Bisiolu
9:40 pm • 10,000m (M) • Semifinal • Schille • Top 12 advance to Austin
Friday, May 24
12:00 pm • Discus (W) • First Round • Smith • Top 12 advance to Austin
4:00 pm • Discus (M) • Fist Round • Meece • Top 12 advance to Austin
5:00 pm • Pole Vault (W) • First Round • Brass & Catherine • Top 12 advance to Austin
5:30 pm • 400m (W) • Quarterfinal • Bisiolu • Top 12 advance to Austin
6:00 pm • 100m (W) • Quarterfinal • Chandler • Top 12 advance to Austin
6:15 pm • 100m (M) • Quarterfinal • Mitchell • Top 12 advance to Austin
7:30 pm • 200m (W) • First Round • Chandler & Bisiolu
7:55 pm • 200m (M) • First Round • Borzor & Mitchell
Saturday, May 25
2:45 pm • Shot Put (M) • First Round • Meece • Top 12 advance to Austin
3:00 pm • Triple Jump (W) • First Round • Marable & Mitxelena • Top 12 advance to Austin
5:15 pm • Shot Put (W) • First Round • Echikunwoke & Smith • Top 12 advance to Austin
6:00 pm • 4x100m (W) • Quarterfinal (Banks, Bisiolu, Chandler, Lattimore) • Top 12 advance to Austin
6:30 pm • Triple Jump (M) • First Round • Wright • Top 12 advance to Austin
7:35 pm • 200m (W) • Quarterfinal • Chandler & Bisiolu • Top 12 advance to Austin
7:50 pm • 200m (M) • Quarterfinal • Borzor & Mitchell • Top 12 advance to Austin
8:45 pm • 5,000m (M) • Quarterfinal • Bienenfeld • Top 12 advance to Austin
red indicates athletes will only compete in that race by qualifying from an early round