Jahisha Thomas, Damarcus Simpson each need just one long jump to win, with Gleb Dudarev, Maggie Ewen and Mackenzie Little also producing strong efforts in Sacramento

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Some athletes were able to make quick work Thursday at the Division 1 West Regionals in Sacramento on their way to qualifying for the NCAA championship meet in Eugene, Ore.

INTERVIEWS

Iowa senior Jahisha Thomas won the women’s long jump with one leap, a wind-aided 21-foot effort (6.40m) and called it a night. Oregon senior Damarcus Simpson recorded a wind-aided 26-11.75 (8.22m) long jump on his first attempt, before switching his focus to the 100-meter prelims.

Pole vaulters Chris Nilsen of South Dakota, Hussain Al Hizam of Kansas and Jacob Wooten of Texas A&M all needed just one clearance at 17-2.75 (5.25m) to secure return trips to Hayward Field.

Then there were women’s high jumpers Ashley Ramacher of Minnesota and Lyndsey Lopes of USC, who endured a much longer day capped by surviving a three-athlete jumpoff to qualify, joining 10,000-meter winners Karissa Schweizer of Missouri and Rory Linkletter of Brigham Young in going the distance to advance.

With 10 automatic qualifiers having cleared 5-10.75 (1.80m) in the women’s high jump, two spots remained, with Lopes, Ramacher and Kansas State freshman Clare Gibson beginning the jumpoff at the same height.

Ramacher eventually cleared 5-10 (1.78m), before Lopes outlasted Gibson at 5-8.25 (1.74m) for the final spot, earning the opportunity to compete in the high jump as well as the heptathlon at the Division 1 championship meet.

Schweizer led 11 women under 33 minutes, clocking 32:14.36, with reigning NCAA champion Charlotte Taylor of San Francisco placing third in 32:20.25 and New Mexico senior Alice Wright – seeking a fourth straight All-America honor – taking second in 32:19.03.

Linkletter led four BYU qualifiers in 29:14.29, being joined in the NCAA final by Connor McMillan (29:14.91), Clayton Young (29:16.08) and Conner Mantz (29:16.78). Northern Arizona and Portland also had multiple athletes advance, with the top three cross country programs accounting for seven of the 12 West qualifiers.

UCLA junior Robert Brandt, who led for more than 8,000 meters, placed eighth in 29:15.57 to advance.

Several of the top collegiate throwers in the country had little difficulty advancing, with Arizona State senior Maggie Ewen producing a 62-9.25 (19.13m) shot put and Kansas sophomore Gleb Dudarev throwing the hammer 239-9 (73.09m).

Stanford junior Mackenzie Little had a third-round javelin throw of 187-7 (57.19m) to prevail against North Dakota State senior Alyssa Olin 176-7 (53.83m).

Arkansas’ Jada Baylark and USC’s Deanna Hill led the women’s 100 qualifiers in 11.22, with Oregon’s Makenzie Dunmore clocking 52.04 in the 400.

In a rematch of the Mountain West Conference women’s 800 final, UNLV freshman Avi’Tal Wilson-Perteete secured another narrow victory over Boise State junior Sadi Henderson, as they posted the top two qualifying times of 2:06.14 and 2:06.19.

Oregon sophomore Jessica Hull was the only athlete under 4:20 in the 1,500, clocking 4:19.41, with USC sophomore Anna Cockrell clocking 56.87 to lead all qualifiers in the 400 hurdles.

Reigning NCAA champion Josh Kerr of New Mexico cruised to the fastest 1,500 qualifying time of 3:44.80, with Texas-Arlington’s Erik Martinsson posting the top 800 mark of 1:48.98.

Houston’s Cameron Burrell clocked a wind-legal 10.02 in the 100 and teammate Amere Lattin led all qualifiers in the 400 hurdles in 49.71, with Arkansas’ Obi Igbokwe running the top time of 45.49 in the 400.

Fellow Razorback standout Taliyah Brooks, one of the leading contenders for the women’s heptathlon championship, didn’t qualify in the long jump despite producing a collegiate-leading 22-3 (6.78m) in March. Brooks fouled twice, before jumping 18-9.25 (5.72m) in the final round.