COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Bashiru Abdullahi advanced to the quarterfinal round in the men's 110-meter hurdles to highlight Wednesday action for UTSA on the first day of the NCAA West Preliminary Round at E.B. Cushing Stadium.
Abdullahi secured one of 24 spots in Friday's quarterfinals after clocking a time of 13.84 seconds to finish fourth in his first-round heat. The Benin City, Nigeria, native's time ended up in a tie for the second fastest in the field after the three automatic qualifiers from each of the six heats were determined, thus earning one of the six available qualifying spots based on time. The two-time C-USA medalist will race again at 6:45 p.m. Friday with his sights set on finishing in the top 12 to move on to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 9-12 in Eugene, Ore.
Survive and advance❗️
— UTSA Track & XC (@UTSATrackXC) May 26, 2021
UTSA's Bashiru Abdullahi is moving on to Friday's quarterfinals of the men's 110m hurdles after clocking a 13.84 in the first round of the NCAA West Preliminary.
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Andrew Pirog saw his stellar UTSA career come to an end in the opening round of the NCAA men's 400m hurdles on Wednesday night. The senior from San Antonio Reagan High School crossed sixth in his heat with a time of 51.47, good for 32nd in the field of 48. The 2021 C-USA silver medalist earned his fourth career NCAA Preliminary Round berth with a personal-best time of 51.08 posted at the conference meet earlier this month.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sam Healy and Christie Le Roux both finished in the top 30 in the men's long jump. Healy, the 2021 C-USA Indoor and Outdoor runner-up, leaped to a wind-aided distance of 7.59 meters (24-11) to finish 16th. The Ireland native matched his season-best wind-legal jump but ended up four places and seven centimeters — or less than three inches — shy of earning one of the 12 automatic qualifying spots for the national championship meet. Le Roux, a freshman from South Africa, placed 29th with a mark of 7.33m (24-0.75).
The meet will resume on Thursday with five members of the UTSA women's squad in action.
Oreoluwa Adamson and Ingeborg Gruenwald will compete in the long jump at 3 p.m., while Maia Campbell will look to extend her senior season in the shot put at 6 p.m. The duo of Faith Roberson and Alanah Yukich will line up in the first round of the 400m hurdles at 8:20 p.m. with the fourth- and fifth-fastest times in the field.
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)
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