Natalie Lopez | Posted: 21 May 2019 | Updated: 8 Nov 2020

Cougars rank No.1 in entries for upcoming NCAA West Prelims

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PROVO, Utah – The BYU track and field program will have a program-high 59 entries competing in the 2019 NCAA West Preliminary Round in Sacramento, California, May 23-25.

“We’re excited about the prospect of taking 59 athletes to the regional meet,” BYU head coach Ed Eyestone said. “We’ve got the most combined athletes qualified in the entire NCAA. It’s mission accomplished as far as getting athletes to the meet and now the important step is to have them finish in the top 12 in their events.”

BYU has the highest number of combined entries to the NCAA West Prelims. The top 12 finishers in each event at the NCAA West Prelims will advance to the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 5-8 in Austin, Texas. Based on current rankings, the Cougars currently have 18 entries ranked in the top 12 in their respective events.

In the regional meet, the No. 6 BYU men’s track and field team will feature 35 of its athletes in competition, with 14 earning top-12 seeds. All-Americans Connor McMillan (No. 1), Rory Linkletter (No. 2), Conner Mantz (No. 3) and Clayton Young (No. 4) headline the top four runners in the the 10,000m in the NCAA this season. In the 5000m, Mantz and Young are ranked No. 3, 5 in the nation. All-American Matt Owens (No. 3), All-American Clayson Shumway (No. 5) and Jake Heslington (No. 8) will be competing in the men’s 3000m steeplechase.

Talem Franco (No. 12) will be racing in the men’s 1500m and the men’s 4x400m relay team (No. 12) will include Abram Schaap, Colten Yardley, Blake Ellis and Michael Bluth.

From the BYU women’s team, 25 athletes will be competing with six ranking in the top 12. Headlining the BYU women’s team is All-American Andrea Stapleton-Johnson who ranks No. 1 in the NCAA in the women’s high jump. The other top-seeded athletes are Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes (No. 2) in the 800m, Brenna Porter (No. 4) in the 400m hurdles, Erica Birk-Jarvis (No. 5) in the 3000m steeplechase, Whittni Orton (No. 5) in the 1500m and Anna Camp-Bennett (No. 6) in the 800m.

Brian Matthews already punched his ticket to compete in the decathlon at the NCAA Championships with his career-best score of 7335 at the BYU Cougar Invitational. Instead of hosting a preliminary round, the NCAA advances the top 24 declared decathletes and heptathletes straight to the finals.

Eyestone is looking forward to seeing how the athletes compete in the postseason after a strong outdoor track and field season. He stated that they’re not so concerned about athletes winning their particular event, but just advancing as many to the national meet as possible.

The BYU coach expects that Cougars currently ranked in the top 12 will perform up to ability and advance, but he also hopes that those outside of the top 12 can improve their standing.

“That’s a great goal for anybody – to improve on their position coming in,” Eyestone said. “It will be a great performance if an athlete can come into this meet and improve on their position. What makes this meet special is when we get surprises from athletes rising up at the most important meet of the year and qualifying for the NCAA Championships. ”

The 2019 West Prelims will be held at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California, from May 23-25. The meet schedule and full list of NCAA qualifiers can be found here. Live stats and streaming options can be found on the BYU track and field schedule page two days prior to the first day of competition.

Thursday, May 23

Time (PDT) Athlete(s) Event
12:00 p.m. Jacob Foutz Men's Hammer
 
12:00 p.m.

Sydnie Martindale
Payge Cuthbertson

Women's Javelin
 
3:30 p.m.

Andrea Stapleton-Johnson
Lindsay Yetter-Shirley

Women's High Jump
 
4:30 p.m. Brenna Porter
Kaitlyn Gunnerson-Burrup
Women's 400m Hurdles (First Round)
 
4:30 p.m.

Jameson Shirley

Men's Pole Vault
5:00 p.m. Colten Yardley Men's 400m Hurdles (First Round)
5:30 p.m.

Whittni Orton
Olivia Hoj
Kate Hunter
Alissa Fielding
Madey Brooks-Dickson

Women's 1500m (First Round)
6:00 p.m. Talem Franco
Marcus Dickson
Men's 1500m (First Round)
6:30 p.m. Jaslyn Gardner Women's 100m (First Round)
7:45 p.m. Michael Bluth Men's 400m (First Round)
8:10 p.m.

Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes
Anna Camp-Bennett
Karina Haymore

Women's 800m (First Round)
9:40 p.m. Connor McMillan
Rory Linkletter
Conner Mantz
Clayton Young
Danny Carney
Dallin Farnsworth
Michael Ottesen
Connor Weaver
Brayden McLelland
Men's 10,000m
 

Friday, May 24

Time (PDT) Athlete(s) Event
12:00 p.m. Cameron Bates
Matt Kitchen
Kraymer Eppich
Men's Javelin
4:00 p.m. Jacob Foutz Men's Discus
5:00 p.m. Elise Romney Women's Pole Vault
 
5:45 p.m. *Michael Bluth Men's 400m (Quarterfinal)
 
6:00 p.m. *Jaslyn Gardner Women's 100m (Quarterfinal)
 
6:30 p.m.

*Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes
*Anna Camp-Bennett
*Karina Haymore

Women's 800m (Quarterfinal)
7:00 p.m. *Brenna Porter
*Kaitlyn Gunnerson-Burrup
Women's 400m Hurdles (Quarterfinal)
 
7:15 p.m.

*Colten Yardley

Men's 400m Hurdles (Quarterfinal)
7:30 p.m. Jaslyn Gardner Women's 200m (First Round)
7:55 p.m. Derek Sorensen Men's 200m (First Round)
8:20 p.m. Erica Birk-Jarvis
Maddie Cannon
Emma Gee
Sara Musselman
Women's 3000m Steeplechase
9:00 p.m. Matt Owens
Clayson Shumway
Jacob Heslington
Kenneth Rooks
Garrett Marsing
Adam Wood
Men's 3000m Steeplechase

Saturday, May 25

Time (PDT) Athlete(s) Event
2:45 p.m. Jefferson Jarvis Men's Shot Put
4:00 p.m. Jared Lorimier
AJ Beynon
Men's High Jump
6:00 p.m. -Haley Rogers
-Ellie Heiden-Quackenbush
-Lauren Rawlinson
-Jaslyn Gardner
Women's 4x100m
6:15 p.m. -Andrew Stuart
-Michael Bluth
-Abram Schaap
-Derek Sorensen
Men's 4x100m
6:30 p.m. *Whittni Orton
*Olivia Hoj
*Kate Hunter
*Alissa Fielding
*Madey Brooks-Dickson
Women's 1500m (Quarterfinal
6:30 p.m. Rickey Fantroy Jr. Men's Triple Jump
6:45 p.m. *Talem Franco
*Marcus Dickson
Men's 1500m (Quarterfinal)
7:35 p.m. *Jaslyn Gardner Women's 200m (Quarterfinal)
7:50 p.m. *Derek Sorensen Men's 200m (Quarterfinal)
8:05 p.m. Courtney Wayment Women's 5000m
8:45 p.m. Conner Mantz
Clayton Young
Brandon Garnica
Men's 5000m
9:25 p.m. -Haley Rogers
-Ellie Heiden-Quackenbush
-Lauren Rawlinson
-Brenna Porter
Women's 4x400m
9:45 p.m. -Abram Schaap
-Colten Yardley
-Blake Ellis
-Michael Bluth
Men's 4x400m

* -- If qualified