TicketsCINCINNATI - The first day of action at the 2019 NCAA East Preliminary Round meet came to a close late Thursday night with six members of the University of Cincinnati track & field team competing on the day, including Annette Echikunwoke, who punched her ticket to the NCAA Finals in the hammer following a strong mark in Jacksonville, Fla. Along with Echikunwoke earning a spot in the national meet in Austin, freshman Caisja Chandler moved one step closer to joining her teammate as she advanced to tomorrow's quarterfinals in the 100m inside Hodges Stadium on the North Florida campus.
// SEE YOU IN TEXAS
Echikunwoke finished sixth in the hammer to punch her ticket back to the NCAA Finals as she recorded a best mark of 62.87m (206-03) on her first throw of the day, giving her another shot at a national title and All-America honors in her top outdoor event. The 2017 NCAA indoor weight throw champion and a four-time All-American, Echikunwoke's best mark came on her first throw of the day before she fouled her final two throws. With her qualification to Austin, Echikunwoke becomes the first UC thrower to qualify to nationals multiple times in the same throwing event after she was there in 2016 and finished eighth overall. She was already the only Bearcats thrower that made the national finals in multiple throwing events after reaching the 2017 national meet in the shot put as well.
// MOVING ON
Chandler made her NCAA debut in the first round of the 100m dash and turned in a time of 11.43 to place second in her heat. As one of the Top 3 finishers in her heat, she automatically advanced to the quarterfinals that will be run Friday at 6 p.m. Following the first round action, her time ranked her 10th overall in the remaining field. Friday, she has two ways she can advance to Austin: finish in the Top 3 of her heat or hope her time is one of the three fastest outside of the nine automatic qualifiers.
// SCHILLE CLOSES THE BOOK
The final event of the day was the semifinal of the men's 10,000m that saw Andrew Schille place 35th overall in 31:14.63. The graduate student from Cincinnati (Oak Hills HS) entered the race ranked 41st on the performance list and moved up six spots in the region on a hot and humid night in north Florida. With the completion of the race, Schille's outstanding collegiate career comes to a close. In his time competing for both Northern Kentucky and then this year UC, he won four conference titles and earned 11 all-conference honors, including one two weeks ago at the AAC Championships with his third-place showing in the 1,500m final. All told in his one year with the Bearcats, Schille advanced to his first NCAA event in track and will leave UC with three of the Top 4 times in program history outdoors, including the #3 marks in both the 5,000m and 10,000m and the #4 mark in the 1,500m.
// MORE FROM THE TRACK
Two sprinters also competed on the day, but were unable to advance to the next round in their respective events. First, Quincy Mitchell raced in the 100m dash and turned in a time of 10.56, which placed him 32nd overall in the event. One event later, Haisha Bisiolu raced in the first round of the women's 400m and turned in a time of 54.25 to place 34th overall. Despite advancing in their events today, both will run again Friday as they take part in the first rounds of the 200m.
// MORE FROM THE FIELD
Sam Meece opened the day for the Bearcats competing the hammer, his first of two throwing events this week, and placed 32nd overall with a best of 57.00m (187-00) on the day. Meece opened his day with his best throw and followed that with tosses of 56.82m (186-05) and 56.01m (183-09) in the second and third rounds, respectively. Although he will not advance to the national finals in Austin in the event, he still has a chance to reach the NCAA Finals as he will take part in the discus tomorrow (Friday) starting at 4:00 p.m.
// IN THE BLOCKS
Eight Bearcats are set to compete Friday with freshman Malin Smith leading things off with the women's discus at noon. The first event on the track for UC will be the quarterfinal of the women's 100m at 6 p.m. with Chandler looking to earn a spot in Austin.
2019 NCAA East Preliminary Round
Hodges Stadium (U. North Florida) • Jacksonville, Fla.
May 23, 2019 • Day 1 Results
Women's Results
100m Dash • First Round
10. Caisja Chandler • 11.43 (+0.7) • advances to quarterfinal (Friday, 6pm)
400m Dash • First Round
34. Haisha Bisiolu • 54.25
Hammer • First Round
6. Annette Echikunwoke • 62.87m (206-03) • advances to Austin
Men's Results
100m Dash • First Round
32. Quincy Mitchell • 10.56 (-0.3)
10,000m Run • Semifinal
35. Andrew Schille • 31:14.63
Hammer • First Round
32. Sam Meece • 57.00m (187-00)
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, May 24
12:00 pm • Discus (W) • First Round • Malin Smith
4:00 pm • Discus (M) • Fist Round • Sam Meece
5:00 pm • Pole Vault (W) • First Round • Sadie Brass & Brooke Catherine
6:00 pm • 100m (W) • Quarterfinal • Caisja Chandler
7:30 pm • 200m (W) • First Round • Caisja Chandler & Haisha Bisiolu
7:55 pm • 200m (M) • First Round • Chris Borzor & Quincy Mitchell
// SEE YOU IN TEXAS
Echikunwoke finished sixth in the hammer to punch her ticket back to the NCAA Finals as she recorded a best mark of 62.87m (206-03) on her first throw of the day, giving her another shot at a national title and All-America honors in her top outdoor event. The 2017 NCAA indoor weight throw champion and a four-time All-American, Echikunwoke's best mark came on her first throw of the day before she fouled her final two throws. With her qualification to Austin, Echikunwoke becomes the first UC thrower to qualify to nationals multiple times in the same throwing event after she was there in 2016 and finished eighth overall. She was already the only Bearcats thrower that made the national finals in multiple throwing events after reaching the 2017 national meet in the shot put as well.
🎟🤛!
— Cincinnati TF & XC (@GoBearcatsTFXC) May 23, 2019
Echikunwoke places sixth in the East and earned a spot in the #ncaatf Finals in Austin!!#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/l2fgRLwlmG
// MOVING ON
Chandler made her NCAA debut in the first round of the 100m dash and turned in a time of 11.43 to place second in her heat. As one of the Top 3 finishers in her heat, she automatically advanced to the quarterfinals that will be run Friday at 6 p.m. Following the first round action, her time ranked her 10th overall in the remaining field. Friday, she has two ways she can advance to Austin: finish in the Top 3 of her heat or hope her time is one of the three fastest outside of the nine automatic qualifiers.
MOVING ON!#Bearcats freshman @_caisjaaaa_ runs 11.43 in the 100m first round to place second in her heart and automatically qualify to tomorrow's quarterfinals where she will look to advance to the #ncaatf Final! pic.twitter.com/kfGyjh4EjR
— Cincinnati TF & XC (@GoBearcatsTFXC) May 23, 2019
// SCHILLE CLOSES THE BOOK
The final event of the day was the semifinal of the men's 10,000m that saw Andrew Schille place 35th overall in 31:14.63. The graduate student from Cincinnati (Oak Hills HS) entered the race ranked 41st on the performance list and moved up six spots in the region on a hot and humid night in north Florida. With the completion of the race, Schille's outstanding collegiate career comes to a close. In his time competing for both Northern Kentucky and then this year UC, he won four conference titles and earned 11 all-conference honors, including one two weeks ago at the AAC Championships with his third-place showing in the 1,500m final. All told in his one year with the Bearcats, Schille advanced to his first NCAA event in track and will leave UC with three of the Top 4 times in program history outdoors, including the #3 marks in both the 5,000m and 10,000m and the #4 mark in the 1,500m.
// MORE FROM THE TRACK
Two sprinters also competed on the day, but were unable to advance to the next round in their respective events. First, Quincy Mitchell raced in the 100m dash and turned in a time of 10.56, which placed him 32nd overall in the event. One event later, Haisha Bisiolu raced in the first round of the women's 400m and turned in a time of 54.25 to place 34th overall. Despite advancing in their events today, both will run again Friday as they take part in the first rounds of the 200m.
// MORE FROM THE FIELD
Sam Meece opened the day for the Bearcats competing the hammer, his first of two throwing events this week, and placed 32nd overall with a best of 57.00m (187-00) on the day. Meece opened his day with his best throw and followed that with tosses of 56.82m (186-05) and 56.01m (183-09) in the second and third rounds, respectively. Although he will not advance to the national finals in Austin in the event, he still has a chance to reach the NCAA Finals as he will take part in the discus tomorrow (Friday) starting at 4:00 p.m.
// IN THE BLOCKS
Eight Bearcats are set to compete Friday with freshman Malin Smith leading things off with the women's discus at noon. The first event on the track for UC will be the quarterfinal of the women's 100m at 6 p.m. with Chandler looking to earn a spot in Austin.
2019 NCAA East Preliminary Round
Hodges Stadium (U. North Florida) • Jacksonville, Fla.
May 23, 2019 • Day 1 Results
Women's Results
100m Dash • First Round
10. Caisja Chandler • 11.43 (+0.7) • advances to quarterfinal (Friday, 6pm)
400m Dash • First Round
34. Haisha Bisiolu • 54.25
Hammer • First Round
6. Annette Echikunwoke • 62.87m (206-03) • advances to Austin
Men's Results
100m Dash • First Round
32. Quincy Mitchell • 10.56 (-0.3)
10,000m Run • Semifinal
35. Andrew Schille • 31:14.63
Hammer • First Round
32. Sam Meece • 57.00m (187-00)
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, May 24
12:00 pm • Discus (W) • First Round • Malin Smith
4:00 pm • Discus (M) • Fist Round • Sam Meece
5:00 pm • Pole Vault (W) • First Round • Sadie Brass & Brooke Catherine
6:00 pm • 100m (W) • Quarterfinal • Caisja Chandler
7:30 pm • 200m (W) • First Round • Caisja Chandler & Haisha Bisiolu
7:55 pm • 200m (M) • First Round • Chris Borzor & Quincy Mitchell