TicketsCINCINNATI - The final day of action at the 2019 NCAA East Region Preliminary Round meet came to a close Saturday night in Jacksonville, Fla., with the University of Cincinnati women's track & field team adding historic marks both on the track and in the field as the Bearcats added three entrants into the national meet in Austin, Texas, in two weeks. Annette Echikunwoke grabbed her second ticket to the NCAA Finals this week as she advanced in the shot put while freshman Caisja Chandler had a hand in a pair of qualifications as she earned a berth in the 200m dash while also joining Haisha Bisiolu, Faith Banks and Tiona Lattimore in the national meet in the 4x100m.
// HISTORIC HAULS
With Echikunwoke and Chandler's qualifications, the duo created program history as they became the first UC women to qualify to the NCAA Championships in two events in the same season while becoming the second and third in combined program history to earn multiple berths, following Al Lanier qualifying for the finals in the long and triple jumps for the men four years in a row (1970-73). Additionally, Echikunwoke, who qualified in the hammer Thursday, is the first thrower to qualify in multiple events in the same year and has the most qualifications in the same throwing event twice as she has reached the national event in both the hammer and shot put twice each.
// MORE HISTORY
Two years ago, both Lattimore and Bisiolu had a hand in program history as they joined Deanna Gesicki and Bryana Robinson in qualifying the 4x400m relay to the NCAA Championships, marking the first time in program history the Bearcats reached the national meet in a relay, both men and women included. Today, the duo joined forces with rookies Banks and Chandler to earn an automatic berth into the national meet in the 4x100m relay, marking the first time the short relay has ever advanced to the meet. The quartet opened the day running in the first heat and left no doubt about it as they covered the track in 43.81 to finish second in their heat with the Top 3 in each heat automatically earning a berth to Austin. The time ranked as the ninth-fastest on the day among the 24 teams in the meet and broke the school record the team ran at the AAC Championships (44.27). The team is now the first in program history to run under 44 seconds.
// FAST FRESHMAN
Chandler continued to do big things in her first season outdoors with the Bearcats as the freshman came back 90 minutes after the relay to run in the quarterfinal of the 200m. In the event, she finished third in her heat in a time of 22.97 to earn an automatic berth into the national meet while also breaking more records. Already the school's overall and freshman record holder, she broke both with her time, bettering the previous best of 23.04 she ran one day prior. Her time also make her the first Bearcats woman to run under 23 seconds in the event.
// GOING FAR IN THE FIELD
Echikunwoke earned a berth into the national finals in the shot put for the second competition season in a row (she qualified in 2017 and redshirted last year) as she placed 10th overall with a mark of 16.33m (53-07.00). With her qualification, she will look to better her finish from 2017 when she placed 21st overall.
// SO CLOSE
Two men came painfully close to earning berths to Austin as well, but came up just short on the track. In the 200m, Chris Borzor turned in a time of 20.72 to finish 15th overall, just missing the Top 12 by three positions in his debut at the regional competition. In the 5,000m run, Aaron Bienenfeld ran 14:09.84, which ranked as the ninth-best time on the night. The bad news is that he ranked 14th overall as five times slower than his were the Top 5 finishers in the first heat, all of which earned automatic berths to Austin.
// FIELD REPORT • WOMEN
Three other women competed on the day as well. In the shot put, Malin Smith recorded a mark of 15.82m (51-11.00) to finish 23rd overall, up from her 47th-place ranking ahead of the meet. Her toss also is the #4 mark in program history and is the best outdoor mark recorded in the event by a freshman (she has the freshman record already with her 15.95m toss from indoors earlier this year). In the triple jump, both Irati Mitxelena and Kennedy Marable posted solid marks with the duo placing 16th and 23rd, respectively. Mitxelena finished with a mark of 12.75m (41-10.00), missing nationals by four places, while Marable jumped 12.62m (41-05.00) to equal her personal best and the program's #4 mark that she recorded at the AAC Championships, a mark that qualified her into this meet as well.
// FIELD REPORT • MEN
Two other men also competed on the day in the field, including Marcus Abraham in the shot put and Andre Wright in the triple jump. Abraham led off the day with a best of 17.63m (57-10.25) to finish 28th overall. Wright finished 23rd in his event with a best of 15.25m (50-00.50), a mark that is his outdoor PR and the #4 mark in program history.
// IN THE BLOCKS
The 2019 NCAA Finals will take place June 5-8 in Austin, Texas. All of the qualified Bearcats will compete on Thursday, June 6, with the only finals being both throwing events for Echikunwoke (hammer at 4:30 p.m. and shot put at 9:10 p.m.). On the track, the 4x100m will open competition at 7:02 p.m. in the semifinals while the semifinal of the 200m for Chandler will take place at 9:14 p.m. All three of the running events will see the finals take place Saturday, June 8.
2019 NCAA East Preliminary Round
Hodges Stadium (U. North Florida) • Jacksonville, Fla.
May 25, 2019 • Day 3 Results
Women's Results
200m Dash • Quarterfinal
8. Caisja Chandler • 22.97 (+1.0) • SB, PR, UC RECORD & UC Frosh Record • qualifies to Austin
4x100m Relay • Quarterfinal
9. Cincinnati • 43.81 • SB, PR & UC RECORD • qualifies to Austin
Triple Jump • First Round
16. Irati Mitxelena • 12.75m (41-10.00)(+1.0)
23. Kennedy Marable • 12.62m (41-05.00)(+1.5) • =SB, =PR & UC #4
Shot Put • First Round
10. Annette Echikunwoke • 16.33m (53-07.00) • qualifies to Austin
23. Malin Smith • 15.82m (51-11.00) • SB, PR & UC #4
Men's Results
200m Dash • Quarterfinal
15. Chris Borzor • 20.72 (+1.1)
5,000m Run • Semifinal
9. Aaron Bienenfeld • 14:09.84
Triple Jump • First Round
23. Andre Wright • 15.25m (50-00.50)(-1.5) • SB, PR & UC #4
Shot Put • First Round
28. Marcus Abraham • 17.63m (57-10.25)
// HISTORIC HAULS
With Echikunwoke and Chandler's qualifications, the duo created program history as they became the first UC women to qualify to the NCAA Championships in two events in the same season while becoming the second and third in combined program history to earn multiple berths, following Al Lanier qualifying for the finals in the long and triple jumps for the men four years in a row (1970-73). Additionally, Echikunwoke, who qualified in the hammer Thursday, is the first thrower to qualify in multiple events in the same year and has the most qualifications in the same throwing event twice as she has reached the national event in both the hammer and shot put twice each.
// MORE HISTORY
Two years ago, both Lattimore and Bisiolu had a hand in program history as they joined Deanna Gesicki and Bryana Robinson in qualifying the 4x400m relay to the NCAA Championships, marking the first time in program history the Bearcats reached the national meet in a relay, both men and women included. Today, the duo joined forces with rookies Banks and Chandler to earn an automatic berth into the national meet in the 4x100m relay, marking the first time the short relay has ever advanced to the meet. The quartet opened the day running in the first heat and left no doubt about it as they covered the track in 43.81 to finish second in their heat with the Top 3 in each heat automatically earning a berth to Austin. The time ranked as the ninth-fastest on the day among the 24 teams in the meet and broke the school record the team ran at the AAC Championships (44.27). The team is now the first in program history to run under 44 seconds.
// FAST FRESHMAN
Chandler continued to do big things in her first season outdoors with the Bearcats as the freshman came back 90 minutes after the relay to run in the quarterfinal of the 200m. In the event, she finished third in her heat in a time of 22.97 to earn an automatic berth into the national meet while also breaking more records. Already the school's overall and freshman record holder, she broke both with her time, bettering the previous best of 23.04 she ran one day prior. Her time also make her the first Bearcats woman to run under 23 seconds in the event.
// GOING FAR IN THE FIELD
Echikunwoke earned a berth into the national finals in the shot put for the second competition season in a row (she qualified in 2017 and redshirted last year) as she placed 10th overall with a mark of 16.33m (53-07.00). With her qualification, she will look to better her finish from 2017 when she placed 21st overall.
// SO CLOSE
Two men came painfully close to earning berths to Austin as well, but came up just short on the track. In the 200m, Chris Borzor turned in a time of 20.72 to finish 15th overall, just missing the Top 12 by three positions in his debut at the regional competition. In the 5,000m run, Aaron Bienenfeld ran 14:09.84, which ranked as the ninth-best time on the night. The bad news is that he ranked 14th overall as five times slower than his were the Top 5 finishers in the first heat, all of which earned automatic berths to Austin.
// FIELD REPORT • WOMEN
Three other women competed on the day as well. In the shot put, Malin Smith recorded a mark of 15.82m (51-11.00) to finish 23rd overall, up from her 47th-place ranking ahead of the meet. Her toss also is the #4 mark in program history and is the best outdoor mark recorded in the event by a freshman (she has the freshman record already with her 15.95m toss from indoors earlier this year). In the triple jump, both Irati Mitxelena and Kennedy Marable posted solid marks with the duo placing 16th and 23rd, respectively. Mitxelena finished with a mark of 12.75m (41-10.00), missing nationals by four places, while Marable jumped 12.62m (41-05.00) to equal her personal best and the program's #4 mark that she recorded at the AAC Championships, a mark that qualified her into this meet as well.
// FIELD REPORT • MEN
Two other men also competed on the day in the field, including Marcus Abraham in the shot put and Andre Wright in the triple jump. Abraham led off the day with a best of 17.63m (57-10.25) to finish 28th overall. Wright finished 23rd in his event with a best of 15.25m (50-00.50), a mark that is his outdoor PR and the #4 mark in program history.
// IN THE BLOCKS
The 2019 NCAA Finals will take place June 5-8 in Austin, Texas. All of the qualified Bearcats will compete on Thursday, June 6, with the only finals being both throwing events for Echikunwoke (hammer at 4:30 p.m. and shot put at 9:10 p.m.). On the track, the 4x100m will open competition at 7:02 p.m. in the semifinals while the semifinal of the 200m for Chandler will take place at 9:14 p.m. All three of the running events will see the finals take place Saturday, June 8.
2019 NCAA East Preliminary Round
Hodges Stadium (U. North Florida) • Jacksonville, Fla.
May 25, 2019 • Day 3 Results
Women's Results
200m Dash • Quarterfinal
8. Caisja Chandler • 22.97 (+1.0) • SB, PR, UC RECORD & UC Frosh Record • qualifies to Austin
4x100m Relay • Quarterfinal
9. Cincinnati • 43.81 • SB, PR & UC RECORD • qualifies to Austin
Triple Jump • First Round
16. Irati Mitxelena • 12.75m (41-10.00)(+1.0)
23. Kennedy Marable • 12.62m (41-05.00)(+1.5) • =SB, =PR & UC #4
Shot Put • First Round
10. Annette Echikunwoke • 16.33m (53-07.00) • qualifies to Austin
23. Malin Smith • 15.82m (51-11.00) • SB, PR & UC #4
Men's Results
200m Dash • Quarterfinal
15. Chris Borzor • 20.72 (+1.1)
5,000m Run • Semifinal
9. Aaron Bienenfeld • 14:09.84
Triple Jump • First Round
23. Andre Wright • 15.25m (50-00.50)(-1.5) • SB, PR & UC #4
Shot Put • First Round
28. Marcus Abraham • 17.63m (57-10.25)