Four Cavalier Men Advance on Final Day of NCAA East Prelims
Story Links
May 30, 2015
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The 13th-ranked Virginia men’s track and field team concluded an impressive showing at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds by having four athletes qualify for the NCAA Championships on the final day at Hodges Stadium at the University of North Florida. Filip Mihaljevic (Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ryan Satchell (Central Islip, N.Y.), Henry Wynne (Westport, Conn.) and Jordan Young (Windsor, Ontario) advanced during Saturday’s action.
The top 12 competitors in each event at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds advanced to the NCAA Championships, held June 10-13 at the University of Oregon.
Overall, seven Cavalier men competing in eight events qualified for the NCAA Championships, setting a program record for events and tying the record for athletes. Virginia also sent seven athletes to the 2010 NCAA Championships.
“I am elated by those numbers because at this point in the season it is all about performing,” said head coach Bryan Fetzer. “This meet, for athletes under age 23, is the best meet in the world. To come out and take care of business against this level of competition is impressive. The great thing about going into the national championship with this group is that every single one of them has a viable chance to score points in Eugene. That is exciting.”
Young and Mihaljevic continued their strong performance at the meet by both qualifying in the men’s shot put. Mihaljevic was fourth with a mark of 19.92m (65-4.25) and Young was fifth with a mark of 19.40m (63-7.75). A year after becoming the first Cavalier male to qualify for the NCAA Championships in two individual events, Mihaljevic repeats the feat by advancing in both the discus and shot put this season. Young, who was the top qualifier in both the hammer throw and discus earlier this week, becomes the first Cavalier to qualify for three events in one year.
“I am almost speechless about what our throws group did this week,” said Fetzer. “Coach Maric’s group was six-for-six in advancing to Eugene, when you count Christine Bohan on the women’s side. That is incredible. Those guys are hungry and aren’t satisfied yet.”
Wynne advanced to his first NCAA Championships with his performance in the 1500m. He automatically advanced to Eugene by finishing fourth in his quarterfinal heat in a time of 3:45.52.
Satchell advanced to the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year in the triple jump. His season-best mark of 15.89m (52-1.75) gave him a sixth-place finish in qualifying.
The day concluded with the 4x400m relay of Logan Carrington (Leesburg, Va.), Nathan Kiley (Chantilly, Va.), Jack Lint (Westerville, Ohio) and Payton Hazzard (Huntington, N.Y.) crossing in a time of 3:09.64 to finish 21st.
In addition to Mihaljevic, Young, Wynne and Satchell, three Cavaliers qualified for Eugene earlier in the meet. Hazzard advanced in the 400m, Kyle Smith (Leola, Pa.) advanced in the javelin and Kyle King (Yorktown, Va.) advanced in the 3000m steeplechase.