FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Christiaan Le Roux punched his ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a top-12 finish in the long jump, while Bashiru Abdullahi and Diego Pettorossi advanced to the quarterfinals on the track for UTSA on Wednesday at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds at John McDonnell Field.
Le Roux earned one of the 12 qualifying spots out of the West Preliminary by a mere one centimeter, as his top measurement of 7.69 meters (25-2.75) was slightly further than the 7.68m (25-2.5) turned in by both Texas Tech's Jalen Seals and Oklahoma's Rayvon Allen. The sophomore from South Africa opened the competition with a mark of 7.55m (24-9.25) before measuring 7.69m on his second trip down the runway. For good measure, he broke the sand at the same distance on his third and final try to help stamp his trip to Eugene.
Abdullahi sped to a time of 13.55 seconds to cross first in his heat of the 110-meter hurdles and keep his hopes alive for a berth in the national meet. Less than two weeks after breaking the school, meet and facility records with a 13.53 clocking to win the C-USA Outdoor crown, the junior from Nigeria nearly matched that time while advancing to the quarterfinal round for the second straight season. He hit the first few hurdles coming out of the block but overcame that start in registering the fourth-fastest time of the evening. He will race in the quarterfinals at 6:15 p.m. Friday.
Later in the night, Pettorossi raced to a time of 20.78 to advance in the 200m. The senior from Bologna, Italy, was battling neck-and-neck with Marcellus Moore of Texas for the third and final automatic qualifying spot in the heat, and he beat the Longhorn to the line by six one-hundredths of a second to stay alive. His time was 21st overall among the 48 sprinters and the C-USA bronze medalist will run in the quarterfinals at 7:50 p.m. Friday.
In other Wednesday action, Jack Turner finished 41st in the long jump with a mark of 7.12m (23-4.5).
The UTSA women will begin competition on Thursday with Marilis Remmel in the javelin (2 p.m.), Ingeborg Gruenwald in the long jump (6 p.m.), Lacee Barnes in the shot put (7 p.m.) and Alanah Yukich in the 400m hurdles at 8:20 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)
-UTSA-
