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Wednesday, May 24
Jacksonville, FL
TBA
Syracuse University
vs
NCAA East Preliminary
NCAA Prelims Start Wednesday for 18 Orange
5/23/2023 10:12:00 AM | Track and Field
Syracuse will send its most competitors to the NCAA East Prelims in five years this week, as 18 members of the Orange will look to extend their seasons to Austin for the NCAA Championships. This week's prelim will consist of four-days of qualifying races, streamed on ESPN+, as the top-48 seeds in the East from each event will go head-to-head.
MEET INFO:
Dates: Wednesday-Saturday
Watch: ESPN+ Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday
Live Results: Here
EVENT PREVIEWS:
Men's 110-Meter Hurdles First Round – Wednesday – 6 p.m.
Jaheem Hayles will look to return to the NCAA finals for the second year in a row in the 110-meter hurdles. That quest will begin with the first round on Wednesday, where he will be in the sixth of six heats. Each heat features eight competitors, with the top-three fastest times in each heat, plus the next-six fastest times overall advancing to Friday's quarterfinal.
He has the second-best time this year among those in his heat (second only to Hampton's Jaheim Stern), but has the best career mark of those in his race. Hayles, who is coming off qualifying for the NCAA final in his last two seasons (2023 indoor, 2022 outdoor), has the seventh-fastest personal best time in the field this weekend.
Men's 1,500-Meter Run First Round – Wednesday – 6:30 p.m.
Nathan Henderson and Karl Winter will race in the 1,500-meter run first round on Wednesday. Henderson is looking to make his second-straight trip to nationals in the event.
The first round will feature four 12-man heats, with the top-five finishers in each, plus next four fastest times overall advancing to Friday's quarterfinal round. Winter is in the second of the four heats, which features Eliud Kipsang with the top seed time of 3:37.69.
Henderson will be in the fourth heat. His heat features a heavy dose of ACC competition, as he recently faced five of the 12 people in the race at the ACC Championships two weeks ago.
Men's 400-Meter Hurdles First Round – Wednesday – 8:20 p.m.
Another race with an Orange duo competing on Wednesday will be the 400-meter hurdles. Xayvion Perkins and Elijah Mallard, who each finished with Second Team All-ACC honors in the event earlier this month, will run in the third and fifth heat respectively.
Like the 110-meter hurdles, this event will feature six heats. Each heat features eight competitors, with the top-three fastest times in each heat, plus the next-six fastest times overall advancing to Friday's quarterfinal.
Perkins will race out of lane six in his heat, where Alabama's Corde Long and North Carolina's Craig Saddler both have season-best times below 50 seconds and serve as the favorites in the race. Five of the other six competitors, including Perkins, are all within a half second of each other on the season.
Mallard's race features Georgia's Caleb Cavanaugh, who has the fifth best time in the nation this season, as the race favorite.
Men's 200-Meter Dash First Round – Wednesday – 8:45 p.m.
Trei Thorogood will race in the 200-meter dash on Wednesday night, looking to advance to Friday by being one of the three-fastest finishers in his heat, or one of the next-six fastest times overall.
Thorogood will race out of lane 2 in the second heat of six. The sophomore will go head-to-head with Alabama's Tarsis Orogot, who owns the best time in the country this season, but no other competitor in the field has a time this season that is any more than 0.39 seconds faster than Thorogood's season best.
Men's 10,000-Meter Run Semifinal – Wednesday – 9:10 p.m.
The first group of runners who can advance to Austin this week would be out of the men's 10k semifinal. Due to the distance of the races, the 5k and 10k only feature a semifinal and a final across the two NCAA meets.
All-48 qualifiers will be in one race, with the top-12 finishers advancing to the NCAA final, where they'd meet the 12 from the West Preliminary round.
Syracuse's four qualifiers in the East semifinal are the most of any school. Paul O'Donnell, Assaf Harari, Alex Comerford and Nathan Lawler will represent 'Cuse in the event. O'Donnell and Harari each scored in the event at the ACC Championships earlier this month, with O'Donnell being the runner-up. The entirety of the Orange contingent is seeded in the top-half of the field this week. O'Donnell has the 12th-best seed time in the event, followed by Harari, Comerford and Lawler in succession.
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles First Round – Thursday – 8:20 p.m.
Shaleah Colaire will be the first Orange woman to race at the meet in the 400-meter hurdles. She'll be in the second of six heats.
Each heat features eight competitors, with the top-three fastest times in each heat, plus the next-six fastest times overall advancing to Saturday's quarterfinal. Colaire will be in lane eight on Thursday, where she'll race head-to-head with Kentucky's Masai Russell, owner of the fastest mark in the East this season.
Women's 1,000-Meter Run Semifinal – Thursday – 9:10 p.m.
The Orange will look to duplicate some of their success from the ACC Championships in the 10k on Thursday night. Amanda Vestri, Sophia Jacobs-Townsley and Savannah Roark all finished in the top-six of the event earlier this month. They'll run again on Thursday, where they'll be joined by Ellie Lawler in looking to qualify for Austin.
Vestri (third), Roark (seventh) and Jacobs-Townsley (19th) are all seeded in the top-20. The Orange's four competitors tie NC State for the most runners in the field.
The top-12 finishers from the race on Thursday will go to Austin for the NCAA final.
Friday Quarterfinals
In addition to two new races on Friday night for the Orange men, quarterfinals for those who qualify in the 1,500 (5:15 p.m.), 110-meter hurdles (6:15 p.m.), 400-meter hurdles (7:25 p.m.) and 200 (7:50) will also take place.
Men's 3,000-Meter Steeplechase Quarterfinals – Friday – 5:40 p.m.
Kevin Robertson will race in the 3,000-meter steeplechase quarterfinal on Friday. The steeple has three rounds to the NCAA Championship, a quarterfinal at the prelim site, then a semifinal and a final at the championship site in Austin.
Robertson is in the second of three quarterfinal heats, where the three fastest times, plus next three overall times, will advance to the semis. He has the third-best time among those in his race this season, trailing only Patrick Thygesen of Providence (8:33.78) and Tom Seitzer of Notre Dame (8:34.89). Robertson's mark of 8:37.26 is 13th in the nation this year.
Men's 5,000-Meters Semifinal – Friday – 8:10 p.m.
Noah Carey will represent the Orange in the two-heat semifinal of the 5k on Friday night.
The five fastest from each of the two heats, plus the next two fastest times overall, will advance to Austin. Carey enters with the sixth-best mark this season among those in his heat. Harvard's Graham Blanks (13:24.91) has the best time of the field, but Carey is just a second behind the top-four, likely placing him right in contention for the event.
Saturday Quarterfinals
In addition to the women's 5k on Saturday night, the 400-meter hurdles quarterfinal would take place at 7:25 p.m. if Colaire advances.
Women's 5,000-Meter Run Semifinal – Saturday – 8:10 p.m.
Abigail Spiers will be the last member of the Orange looking to punch her ticket to Austin. She'll race in the first of two heats in the 5k semifinals on Saturday.
It's the second year in a row that Spiers has competed in this event, although last year she raced in the 10k. NC State's Amaris Tyynismaa owns the best mark this season in Spiers' heat. Spiers has the 16th best mark this year to date in her heat.
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MEET INFO:
Dates: Wednesday-Saturday
Watch: ESPN+ Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday
Live Results: Here
EVENT PREVIEWS:
Men's 110-Meter Hurdles First Round – Wednesday – 6 p.m.
Jaheem Hayles will look to return to the NCAA finals for the second year in a row in the 110-meter hurdles. That quest will begin with the first round on Wednesday, where he will be in the sixth of six heats. Each heat features eight competitors, with the top-three fastest times in each heat, plus the next-six fastest times overall advancing to Friday's quarterfinal.
He has the second-best time this year among those in his heat (second only to Hampton's Jaheim Stern), but has the best career mark of those in his race. Hayles, who is coming off qualifying for the NCAA final in his last two seasons (2023 indoor, 2022 outdoor), has the seventh-fastest personal best time in the field this weekend.
Men's 1,500-Meter Run First Round – Wednesday – 6:30 p.m.
Nathan Henderson and Karl Winter will race in the 1,500-meter run first round on Wednesday. Henderson is looking to make his second-straight trip to nationals in the event.
The first round will feature four 12-man heats, with the top-five finishers in each, plus next four fastest times overall advancing to Friday's quarterfinal round. Winter is in the second of the four heats, which features Eliud Kipsang with the top seed time of 3:37.69.
Henderson will be in the fourth heat. His heat features a heavy dose of ACC competition, as he recently faced five of the 12 people in the race at the ACC Championships two weeks ago.
Men's 400-Meter Hurdles First Round – Wednesday – 8:20 p.m.
Another race with an Orange duo competing on Wednesday will be the 400-meter hurdles. Xayvion Perkins and Elijah Mallard, who each finished with Second Team All-ACC honors in the event earlier this month, will run in the third and fifth heat respectively.
Like the 110-meter hurdles, this event will feature six heats. Each heat features eight competitors, with the top-three fastest times in each heat, plus the next-six fastest times overall advancing to Friday's quarterfinal.
Perkins will race out of lane six in his heat, where Alabama's Corde Long and North Carolina's Craig Saddler both have season-best times below 50 seconds and serve as the favorites in the race. Five of the other six competitors, including Perkins, are all within a half second of each other on the season.
Mallard's race features Georgia's Caleb Cavanaugh, who has the fifth best time in the nation this season, as the race favorite.
Men's 200-Meter Dash First Round – Wednesday – 8:45 p.m.
Trei Thorogood will race in the 200-meter dash on Wednesday night, looking to advance to Friday by being one of the three-fastest finishers in his heat, or one of the next-six fastest times overall.
Thorogood will race out of lane 2 in the second heat of six. The sophomore will go head-to-head with Alabama's Tarsis Orogot, who owns the best time in the country this season, but no other competitor in the field has a time this season that is any more than 0.39 seconds faster than Thorogood's season best.
Men's 10,000-Meter Run Semifinal – Wednesday – 9:10 p.m.
The first group of runners who can advance to Austin this week would be out of the men's 10k semifinal. Due to the distance of the races, the 5k and 10k only feature a semifinal and a final across the two NCAA meets.
All-48 qualifiers will be in one race, with the top-12 finishers advancing to the NCAA final, where they'd meet the 12 from the West Preliminary round.
Syracuse's four qualifiers in the East semifinal are the most of any school. Paul O'Donnell, Assaf Harari, Alex Comerford and Nathan Lawler will represent 'Cuse in the event. O'Donnell and Harari each scored in the event at the ACC Championships earlier this month, with O'Donnell being the runner-up. The entirety of the Orange contingent is seeded in the top-half of the field this week. O'Donnell has the 12th-best seed time in the event, followed by Harari, Comerford and Lawler in succession.
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles First Round – Thursday – 8:20 p.m.
Shaleah Colaire will be the first Orange woman to race at the meet in the 400-meter hurdles. She'll be in the second of six heats.
Each heat features eight competitors, with the top-three fastest times in each heat, plus the next-six fastest times overall advancing to Saturday's quarterfinal. Colaire will be in lane eight on Thursday, where she'll race head-to-head with Kentucky's Masai Russell, owner of the fastest mark in the East this season.
Women's 1,000-Meter Run Semifinal – Thursday – 9:10 p.m.
The Orange will look to duplicate some of their success from the ACC Championships in the 10k on Thursday night. Amanda Vestri, Sophia Jacobs-Townsley and Savannah Roark all finished in the top-six of the event earlier this month. They'll run again on Thursday, where they'll be joined by Ellie Lawler in looking to qualify for Austin.
Vestri (third), Roark (seventh) and Jacobs-Townsley (19th) are all seeded in the top-20. The Orange's four competitors tie NC State for the most runners in the field.
The top-12 finishers from the race on Thursday will go to Austin for the NCAA final.
Friday Quarterfinals
In addition to two new races on Friday night for the Orange men, quarterfinals for those who qualify in the 1,500 (5:15 p.m.), 110-meter hurdles (6:15 p.m.), 400-meter hurdles (7:25 p.m.) and 200 (7:50) will also take place.
Men's 3,000-Meter Steeplechase Quarterfinals – Friday – 5:40 p.m.
Kevin Robertson will race in the 3,000-meter steeplechase quarterfinal on Friday. The steeple has three rounds to the NCAA Championship, a quarterfinal at the prelim site, then a semifinal and a final at the championship site in Austin.
Robertson is in the second of three quarterfinal heats, where the three fastest times, plus next three overall times, will advance to the semis. He has the third-best time among those in his race this season, trailing only Patrick Thygesen of Providence (8:33.78) and Tom Seitzer of Notre Dame (8:34.89). Robertson's mark of 8:37.26 is 13th in the nation this year.
Men's 5,000-Meters Semifinal – Friday – 8:10 p.m.
Noah Carey will represent the Orange in the two-heat semifinal of the 5k on Friday night.
The five fastest from each of the two heats, plus the next two fastest times overall, will advance to Austin. Carey enters with the sixth-best mark this season among those in his heat. Harvard's Graham Blanks (13:24.91) has the best time of the field, but Carey is just a second behind the top-four, likely placing him right in contention for the event.
Saturday Quarterfinals
In addition to the women's 5k on Saturday night, the 400-meter hurdles quarterfinal would take place at 7:25 p.m. if Colaire advances.
Women's 5,000-Meter Run Semifinal – Saturday – 8:10 p.m.
Abigail Spiers will be the last member of the Orange looking to punch her ticket to Austin. She'll race in the first of two heats in the 5k semifinals on Saturday.
It's the second year in a row that Spiers has competed in this event, although last year she raced in the 10k. NC State's Amaris Tyynismaa owns the best mark this season in Spiers' heat. Spiers has the 16th best mark this year to date in her heat.
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