FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Bashiru Abdullahi and Jemuel Miller earned trips to the NCAA Outdoor Championships with season-best performances on Friday at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds at John McDonnell Field.
Abdullahi advanced to the national meet with a third-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles, while Miller moved on to Eugene with a ninth-place showing in the triple jump, as that duo will join Christiaan Le Roux, who qualified in the long jump, at the NCAA finals on June 8-11.
Abdullahi clocked a time of 13.52 seconds to finish second in his heat and book his trip to TrackTown USA. The Nigeria native bettered his own school record posted in winning the Conference USA crown earlier this month by one-hundredth of a second in Friday's race after advancing to the quarterfinals with a 13.55 clocking in the first round on Wednesday. His record-setting time was third overall behind his heat winner, Tre'Bien Gilbert of Arkansas (13.41), and USC's Omotade Ojora (13.50), as he crossed the finish line just ahead of Iowa's Josh Braverman (13.55).
Meanwhile, Miller punched his ticket to Eugene in dramatic fashion while jumping in the fourth and final flight of 48 competitors. After not recording a mark on his first two trips down the runway, the true freshman from Barbados skipped to an outdoor season-best measurement of 16.06 meters (52-8.25) to move all the way into ninth place and secure his spot in the national meet. The conference indoor and outdoor champion placed just ahead of Texas' Stacy Brown Jr. (16.05m/52-8) to continue his quest for a second All-America certificate this year after finishing sixth at the NCAA Indoor.
Grant Szalek also qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round triple jump and the senior from Australia finished 18th with a mark of 15.54m (51-0).
The 4x100m relay quartet of Dennis Phillips, Diego Pettorossi, Trevion McCalla and Brice Chabot finished just outside the 12 automatic qualifying spots, placing 16th with a time of 39.91 seconds. Pettorossi saw his senior season come to an end later in the evening after finishing 23rd in the 200m quarterfinal round with a 21.14 clocking.
The meet will conclude Saturday with four Roadrunners in action for the women. Lacee Barnes is scheduled to throw for the second time this week, as the UTSA record holder is qualified in the discus at 1 p.m. Oreoluwa Adamson and school record holder Danielle Spence will line up in the triple jump at 6 p.m., while Alanah Yukich will race in the quarterfinal round of the 400m hurdles at 7:25 p.m.
UTSA Results
Wednesday, May 25
200 Meters (first round)
22. Diego Pettorossi 20.78wQ (+2.8)
110-Meter Hurdles (first round)
4. Bashiru Abdullahi 13.55wQ (+2.1)
Long Jump
12. Christiaan Le Roux 7.69mq (25-2.75)
41. Jack Turner 7.12m (23-4.5)
Thursday, May 26
400-Meter Hurdles (first round)
23. Alanah Yukich 58.80q
Long Jump
14. Ingeborg Gruenwald 6.21m (20-4.5)
Shot Put
45. Lacee Barnes 13.79m (45-3)
Javelin
37. Marilis Remmel 42.92m (140-10)
Friday, May 27
200 Meters (quarterfinal round)
23. Diego Pettorossi 21.14
110-Meter Hurdles (quarterfinal round)
3. Bashiru Abdullahi 13.52Q
4x100-Meter Relay (quarterfinal round)
16. UTSA (Dennis Phillips, Diego Pettorossi, Trevion McCalla, Brice Chabot) 39.91
Triple Jump
9. Jemuel Miller 16.06m (52-8.25)
18. Grant Szalek 15.54m (51-0)
-UTSA-
