INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Thirteen UTSA track & field student-athletes have earned berths to the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field West Preliminary, which will be contested May 24-26 at Hornet Stadium on the campus of Sacramento State in Sacramento, Calif.
The UTSA men's team earned 10 total event entries and the women's team one to the West Preliminary. In addition, Adrian Riley has earned a berth directly to the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., as he ranks 16th nationally with a season-best score of 7,576 points. NOTE: The decathlon and heptathlon are not contested at the preliminary rounds top-24 athletes in those events earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championship site.
The Roadrunners have their most entries coming in the men's high jump with three. Senior Ty Anderson leads the way with the West's No. 9 ranking, clearing a UTSA-record-tying 2.18m at the Texas Invitational. Davante Edwards, a junior, own's the West's 31st-best height with a 2.12m, while sophomore Quillan Haughton ranks 43rd with a height of 2.10m.
Riley will represent UTSA in the men's long jump as he enters the meet ranked 18th with a season-best mark of 7.77m. Andre Douglas, a freshman, qualified for the men's triple jump with a personal-best distance of 15.56m, which ranks 28th in the West. Freshman Danielle Spence will compete in the women's triple jump as she ranks 26th in the event with a season-best distance of 12.93m.
On the track, Vasha Sheriff will enter the starting blocks in the 400m dash holding the 17st-best time in the West with a 46.21. Luca Chatham qualified for the 800m after running a personal-best 1:49.91 at last week's Conference USA Championships to claim the 37th spot.
Hurdlers Patrick Prince and Andrew Pirog will compete in the 110m and 400m versions, respectively. Prince – the owner of two Conference USA 110m hurdles titles – ranks eighth in the West with a time of 13.75. Pirog ran a personal-best 51.58 at the C-USA Championships, which ranks 35th in the West.
The men's 4x400m relay team rounds out the UTSA qualifiers. The foursome of Austin Crocker, Desmond Jefferson, Byron Taylor and Sheriff clocked a UTSA record 3:06.69 at the C-USA Championships to claim the West's No. 11 ranking.
UTSA's NCAA Track & Field West Preliminary qualifiers
Men
400m – Vasha Sheriff (46.21)
800m – Luca Chatham (1:49.91)
110m hurdles – Patrick Prince (13.75)
400m hurdles – Andrew Pirog (51.58)
4x400m relay – Austin Crocker, Desmond Jefferson, Byron Taylor, Vasha Sheriff (3:06.69)
High jump – Ty Anderson (2.18m), Davante Edwards (2.12m), Quillan Haughton (2.10m)
Long jump – Adrian Riley (7.77m)
Triple jump – Andre Douglas (15.56m)
Women
Triple jump – Danielle Spence (12.93m)
UTSA's NCAA Track & Field Championship qualifiers
Men
Decathlon – Adrian Riley (7,576 points)
1?3? Roadrunners have qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary in Sacramento and Adrian Riley has qualified for the NCAA Championships in the decathlon. #ComeRunWithUs
— UTSA Track & XC (@UTSATrackXC) May 17, 2018
?? https://t.co/Q2j1bo38XV pic.twitter.com/mrLo3VaPVd