Stoner, Aouani Headline NCAA East Prelim 10ks
5/21/2019 9:21:00 AM | Track and Field
The men's and women's 10,000-meter run will be the first event the Syracuse track and field team sees competitors race in on night one of the NCAA East Preliminary Round and it features the highest-seeded and deepest field 'Cuse posts in any event.
Five 'Cuse racers (two women, three men) will compete in the event, including the NCAA favorite based on seed time, Paige Stoner.
EVENT INFORMATION
- 48 runners will toe the line on Thursday night (women at 9 p.m.; men at 9:40 p.m.) in a one-race semifinal. The top-12 finishers will punch their ticket to Austin for the NCAA final in two weeks.
- Runners will also compete in the west regional in the same format, with the top-12 from each semifinal combining for 24-runner finals on June 5/6.
- The meet will be streamed live on FloTrack
- Live results will be available through the NCAA
- The meet will take place at the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville.
WOMEN'S RACE PREVIEW
Stoner has the fastest time in the east by a staggering 23 seconds and is two seconds faster than anyone in the west preliminary round. The Pottsville, Pa. native posted the nation's second-fastest time this season and one of the top-12 times in the history of the event. Stoner also has a top-10 time nationally in the 5k and steeplechase (which she won the ACC title in) this season.
Boise State's Allie Ostrander (32:06.71) was the lone person to best Stoner this year (32:07.36), however Ostrander is declared in the steeplechase and 5k and not the 10k.
While Stoner is an easy favorite to qualify to the NCAA Championships in Austin once again, teammate Laura Dickinson is also in the mix to qualify. The sophomore, who was the runner-up at the ACC Championships in the steeplechase, has the 13th-best seed time (33:37.37) in the east.
Other competitors who could challenge the Orange duo feature a number of familiar faces from ACC competition. Florida State's Militsa Mircheva has the No. 2 time in the event, her teammate Elizabeth Funderburk  ranks 11th and Nortre Dame's trio of Jacqueline Gaughan, Maddy Denner and Anna Rohrer all rank in the top-20 as well. Michigan senior Erin Finn, who has been a four-time NCAA runner-up, is also in the mix.
MEN'S RACE PREVIEW
While Stoner occupies the No. 1 spot on the women's side, 'Cuse also holds the No. 2 mark in the men's race. Senior Iliass Aouani (28:25.36) set the ACC record in the event at the Stanford Invitational and is coming off back-to-back ACC titles, winning the 10k and 5k at the event.
Aouani sits five seconds behind Alabama's Gilbert Kigen. Only three athletes in the east have a seed time below 28:40. The Milan, Italy native will have a pair of teammates in the event as well. Kevin James and Joe Dragon – who both qualified for the NCAA prelims last year as well – will also race in the 10k.
Dragon (29:41.77) and James (29:46.69) James doubled in the 5 and 10k at the ACC Championships, headlined by a ninth-place finish in the 10k. Dragon turned in a ninth-place finish in the 5k, his only event of the weekend.
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Five 'Cuse racers (two women, three men) will compete in the event, including the NCAA favorite based on seed time, Paige Stoner.
EVENT INFORMATION
- 48 runners will toe the line on Thursday night (women at 9 p.m.; men at 9:40 p.m.) in a one-race semifinal. The top-12 finishers will punch their ticket to Austin for the NCAA final in two weeks.
- Runners will also compete in the west regional in the same format, with the top-12 from each semifinal combining for 24-runner finals on June 5/6.
- The meet will be streamed live on FloTrack
- Live results will be available through the NCAA
- The meet will take place at the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville.
WOMEN'S RACE PREVIEW
Stoner has the fastest time in the east by a staggering 23 seconds and is two seconds faster than anyone in the west preliminary round. The Pottsville, Pa. native posted the nation's second-fastest time this season and one of the top-12 times in the history of the event. Stoner also has a top-10 time nationally in the 5k and steeplechase (which she won the ACC title in) this season.
Boise State's Allie Ostrander (32:06.71) was the lone person to best Stoner this year (32:07.36), however Ostrander is declared in the steeplechase and 5k and not the 10k.
While Stoner is an easy favorite to qualify to the NCAA Championships in Austin once again, teammate Laura Dickinson is also in the mix to qualify. The sophomore, who was the runner-up at the ACC Championships in the steeplechase, has the 13th-best seed time (33:37.37) in the east.
Other competitors who could challenge the Orange duo feature a number of familiar faces from ACC competition. Florida State's Militsa Mircheva has the No. 2 time in the event, her teammate Elizabeth Funderburk  ranks 11th and Nortre Dame's trio of Jacqueline Gaughan, Maddy Denner and Anna Rohrer all rank in the top-20 as well. Michigan senior Erin Finn, who has been a four-time NCAA runner-up, is also in the mix.
MEN'S RACE PREVIEW
While Stoner occupies the No. 1 spot on the women's side, 'Cuse also holds the No. 2 mark in the men's race. Senior Iliass Aouani (28:25.36) set the ACC record in the event at the Stanford Invitational and is coming off back-to-back ACC titles, winning the 10k and 5k at the event.
Aouani sits five seconds behind Alabama's Gilbert Kigen. Only three athletes in the east have a seed time below 28:40. The Milan, Italy native will have a pair of teammates in the event as well. Kevin James and Joe Dragon – who both qualified for the NCAA prelims last year as well – will also race in the 10k.
Dragon (29:41.77) and James (29:46.69) James doubled in the 5 and 10k at the ACC Championships, headlined by a ninth-place finish in the 10k. Dragon turned in a ninth-place finish in the 5k, his only event of the weekend.
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