Minnesota Track and Field: Nine Gophers to Compete at the NCAA Championships

Nine Minnesota Golden Gophers track and field athletes advanced to compete in this week’s NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas. Prelims begin for the men’s events on Wednesday with finals on Friday. Prelims begin for the women on Thursday with the finals on Saturday. Below is a list of who will compete for Minnesota with currently scheduled event times:

Obsa Ali and Alex Basten—3,000m Steeplechase

Prelims (Wednesday 4:32 PM), Finals (Friday 7:54 PM)

Ali is the defending NCAA Champion in the event taking it home last spring. He has had a great 2019 season defensing his Big Ten crown in the event in May, and then winning the NCAA West Prelim in the event a few weeks ago. He is seeded second coming into the event. Basten is seeded third after coming in right on Ali’s heels at the NCAA West Prelim. Both have the potential to bring home some hardware for the Gophers Friday night.

Kieran McKeag— Hammer Throw

Finals (Wednesday 3PM)

McKeag finished 21st in the hammer throw at the 2018 NCAA Championships earning Honorable Mention All-America honors. He is seeded 19th in the hammer throw after throwing 66.20 meters (217-02 ft.) at the NCAA West Preliminary last month.

Temi Ogunrinde—Hammer Throw

Finals (Thursday 4:30 PM )

Ogunrinde returns to the NCAA Championships for the third straight season. She placed 18th in 2017 and ninth in 2018. Ogunrinde is the three-time defending Big Ten Champion in the event and enters the NCAA Championships seeded fourth after a runner-up finish at the West Prelims. She also holds Minnesota’s program record at 67.45 meters (221-03 ft.), a mark set during the 2018 season.

Amira Young—100 meters

Prelims (Thursday 8:16 PM), Finals (Saturday 6:22 PM)

Young is the second ever Gopher to qualify for the 100-meters at the NCAA Championships after Tahesia Harrigan in 2002. Young ran a career best and tied a school record at 11.37 seconds at the NCAA West Prelims to finish 11th and earn her spot.

Rachel Schow—400 meter hurdles

Prelims (Thursday 9:00PM) Finals (Saturday 6:57 PM)

Schow is making a return trip to the NCAA Championships, but her first in an individual event. She helped the Gophers 4x400-meter relay team to a 14th-place finish in 2018. Schow is just the third ever Gopher to advance to the NCAA Championships in the 400-meter hurdles after Emma Spagnolain 2018 and Gretchen Otto in 1990. (11th in 1990). Schow placed 12th in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA West Prelim and is seeded 22nd in the field.

Tess Keyzers—Shot Put

Finals (Thursday 9:10 PM)

Keyzers is making her NCAA Championships debut. The redshirt freshman advanced to the national meet with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA West Prelim. Her career best throw of 17.27 meters set a new Minnesota program record and has got her seeded seventh,

Megan Hasz—10,000 meters

Finals (Thursday 9:38 PM)

Hasz along with her sister Bethany qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time. She is the seventh Gopher in program history to advance to the national meet in the event. Hasz finished in 11th-place in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA West Prelim, and she enters the race seeded 21st overall.

Bethany Hasz—5,000 meters

Finals (Saturday 7:25 PM)

Hasz like her sister Megan is making her first NCAA Championship appearance. She posted a time of 15:47.72 to place fourth in her heat at the NCAA West Prelims and earn one of five automatic-qualifying spots; Hasz has already improved on her own Minnesota program record in the 5,000-meter run this season, clocking a career-best mark of 15:45.72. She is seeded 11th coming into the Championship Meet.

HOW TO WATCH?

Wednesday’s action will air live on ESPN2. The Thursday prelims and field event finals will stream live on ESPN3, before the running events air live on ESPNU and ESPN2 beginning at 7PM. Friday’s prelims will stream on ESPN3 before the running events air on ESPN at 7:30. Saturday’s field events will stream on ESPN3, while the running events will air live on ESPN2 beginning at 7:30.