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Beth Tate/UTSA Athletics
Track & Field/Cross Country

Campbell punches ticket to national final, 400 hurdles duo stays alive

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Maia Campbell punched her ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the women's shot put and the 400-meter hurdles duo of Faith Roberson and Alanah Yukich advanced to the quarterfinal round to headline Thursday action for UTSA at the NCAA West Preliminary Round at E.B. Cushing Stadium.
 
Campbell posted an 11th-place finish in the women's shot put to advance to the national championship meet, which is scheduled for June 9-12 in Eugene, Ore. The Converse Judson High School product provided some suspense to keep her senior season alive, unleashing a mark of 16.74 meters (54-11.25) on her third and final attempt to move from 31st place into one of the top 12 qualifying spots.
 
Throwing eighth among 12 competitors in the last of four flights, Campbell opened with a mark of 15.49 meters (50-10) on her first attempt to place her 20th in the field of 48. The two-time Conference USA champion then fell to 31st after no improvement on her second try. Needing to move into the top 12 to stay alive for a trip to Eugene, Campbell — the school record-holder at 17.33m (56-10.25) — recorded her best measurement of the day on her final spin in the ring to secure her spot in the national final in two weeks.
 

Meanwhile, the UTSA women flexed their muscle in the first round of the 400m hurdles on Wednesday night by sending a pair of athletes to Saturday's quarterfinals, which are slated for 7:55 p.m.
 
Running in lane six in the second of six heats, Yukich led nearly wire-to-wire and held off Texas Tech's Lexye Price at the finish line to win the race in a time of 58.78 seconds. The Perth, Australia, native posted the 13th-fastest time in the field of 48 while moving on to the next step toward punching her ticket to nationals.
 

Roberson, the reigning conference champion, clocked a 58.63 for a third-place photo finish in the fourth heat that was won by Washington State's Stephanie Cho in 58.61, while Texas A&M's Dominique Mustin just edged Roberson at the line for runner-up. Roberson, the school record-holder at 56.89 seconds, ended up with the 11th-best time of the round while staying alive for Saturday.
 

In one of the first events of the second day of the four-day meet, freshmen Ingeborg Gruenwald and Oreoluwa Adamson each finished in the top 25 in the women's long jump. Gruenwald, the 2021 C-USA Indoor champion, leaped to a wind-aided mark of 6.28 meters (20-7.25) to place 20th. Adamson, this year's conference outdoor bronze medalist, broke the sand at a distance of 6.19m (20-3.75) — her top wind-legal jump of the season — for 24th.
 
On Friday, Grant Szalek will make his NCAA postseason debut when he competes in the men's triple jump at 3:15 p.m., while Bashiru Abdullahi will line up in the quarterfinals of the men's 110m hurdles at 6:45 p.m.
 
The West Preliminary is one of two Preliminary Round meets being held this week, as the East Preliminary is being hosted by North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. The top 12 competitors from each individual event and 12 teams from each relay event advance from each Preliminary Round site to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
UTSA Results
 
Wednesday, May 26
 
Men's 110-Meter Hurdles (First Round)
19. Bashiru Abdullahi 13.84q
 
Men's 400-Meter Hurdles (First Round)
32. Andrew Pirog 51.47
 
Men's Long Jump
16. Sam Healy 7.59m/24-11 (+4.0)
29. Christie Le Roux 7.33m/24-0.75 (+1.6)
 
Thursday, May 27
 
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles (First Round)
11. Faith Roberson 58.63Q
13. Alanah Yukich 58.78Q
 
Women's Long Jump
20. Ingeborg Gruenwald 6.28m/20-7.25 (+2.8)
24. Oreoluwa Adamson 6.19m/20-3.75 (+1.4)
 
Women's Shot Put
11. Maia Campbell 16.74m/54-11.25
 
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