NCAA West Prelims Done - Rachel King onto Eugene - South Dakota State University Athletics

Thursday, May 24

Sacramento, Calif.

Events Begin 2 p.m. CST Thursday-Saturday

South Dakota State University

NCAA Division I Outdoor West Preliminaries

NCAA West Prelims Done - Rachel King onto Eugene

5/26/2018 11:53:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Live Results: NCAA TF West Prelims

Nine Jackrabbit finished the NCAA Prelims, three of them with their first career attempt, as Rachel King is headed to Eugene to compete in the 3,000m Steeplechase

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The NCAA West Preliminaries finished Saturday with one South Dakota State Jackrabbit, junior Rachel King, moving on in the 3,000m steeplechase to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. on June 6-9.

Her 10th-place finish (9:57.75), third-place finish in her heat (earned the automatic qualifying bid), is a personal-best mark by 3.39 seconds, school record - her second reset of the school record this season, fourth of her career, and ranked 62nd in the world.

She is the first female Jackrabbit to make it to the Division I championships in a track event. The last SDSU female to make it to the championships was Jazzelina Black in 2016 (TJ, 16th, 42-03.25). At least one SDSU student-athlete has competed at the NCAA Championships since 2016 (Black in 2016, Kyle Burdick in 2017 - 1,500m, 13th, 3:43.78, and now King in 2018).

The junior from St. Michael, Minn. finished third in her heat to earn the automatic bid with a personal-best mark (9:57.75) to beat her previous-best mark by 3.39 seconds and meet her goal of breaking the 10-minute barrier. It is her second time of the season, fourth time of her career, resetting the school record.

Earlier in the season, she finished with a time of 10:01.14 at the Stanford Invitational (3/30-31), which first reset the school record in the 2018 outdoor season. It was 21st in the world that weekend.

Day 3
Sophomore Bryant Courter finished his sophomore season on Saturday evening with a 36th-place finish in the triple jump (48-07.50). It was his second event this weekend, finishing 34th (23-06.75) in the long jump on Thursday.

His best mark of the night was on the second attempt of three, while recording 48-02.00 in the first attempt and fouling his third attempt. He has a personal-best mark of 51-11.75 set in the 2018 Summit League Outdoor Championships, which would have finished ninth in the event.

Last year, Courter finished 35th (49-05.75) in the triple jump and 35th (24-01.75) in the long jump.

Junior Kyle Burdick wrapped up his junior 2018 outdoor season on Saturday evening, first competing in the quarterfinals of the 1,500m (18th, 3:46.66) and starting the 5,000m but not finishing (DNF).

He finished 13th in the first round of the 1,500m on Thursday evening to qualify for the quarterfinals on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Jackrabbit did not finish in the top five of his heat (eighth in the second heat) nor finish fast enough to grab one of the two "next-fastest" bids (needed 3:44.04).

Senior Mason Leiseth closed out his Jackrabbit track career with his 55-05.75-foot toss in his first career attempt at the NCAA Prelims. It was his first and only full season with the throwing group.

He owns the outdoor school record (58-00.25) in the shot put and is second all-time for the indoor records (56-01.25)! He finished eighth all-time in the discus (169-05.00).

Day 2
King competed in the 3,000m steeplechase on Friday evening to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Junior Kasie Vollmer also competed on the second day in Sacramento, Calif., finishing 36th (158-05.00) in the discus. It was her second consecutive attempt in the event at the prelims.

Day 1
Senior Colton Bender wrapped up his Jackrabbit career with a 30th-place finish in the hammer throw at Sacramento State. It is his best place-finish, beating his 2017 finish of 34th in the prelims.

Bender closes his SDSU track and field career with his name holding a school record in the indoor weight throw (68-11.75) and the outdoor hammer throw (206-09.00).

Sophomore Bryant Courter jump 23-06.75 to reach 34th place in the long jump on Thursday. He improved his place-finish from last year in the event when he finished 35th (24-01.75).

He will compete in the triple jump on Saturday at 9:30pm CST (ranked 13th on the declaration sheet).

Both freshmen Daniel Clarke and Trent Francom made their debuts at the NCAA event, with Clarke finishing 37th (10.52) in the first round and Francom recording 27th (16-04.75).

Clarke was the first male Jackrabbit to qualify for the sprints section of the prelims.

Junior Krista Steele was the final Jack to compete on Thursday, finishing 31st (2:10.16) in her first career prelims.

Up next
The NCAA Championships are June 6-9, with King competing in the 3,000m steeplechase.

Social Media
For more information on the South Dakota State cross country and track and field teams, follow the Jackrabbits on Twitter (@GoJacksTFXC) and Instagram (@GoJacksTFXC), and like us on Facebook (/GoJacksTFXC).

QUALIFIED!!! Rachel King becomes the first SDSU women's track athlete to make it to Eugene, Oregon!

Received an AUTOMATIC QUALIFIER bid for placing third in the third heat of the 3,000m Steeplechase! #GoJacks | #NCAATFWest pic.twitter.com/ezMdIc1xhv
— SDSU Track/XC (@GoJacksTFXC) May 26, 2018

Individual Jackrabbit Results - Day 3 | Day 2 Recap | Day 1 Recap
1,500m - Men - Semifinal Round
18. Burdick, Kyle (3:46.66)

Junior Kyle Burdick missed the qualifying mark, finishing eighth in the second heat. He needed to beat 3:44.04 to get one of the "next-fastest" qualifying spots or finish in the top five of his heat.

5,000m - Men - Semifinal Round
--. Burdick, Kyle (DNF)

Junior Kyle Burdick was not able to finish his second event of the evening, third total race of the weekend. Burdick last recorded a split at the 3,400m mark in 22nd overall (9:39.42).

Triple Jump - Men - First Round
36. Courter, Bryant (48-07.50)

Sophomore Bryant Courter finished his sophomore season on Saturday evening with a 36th-place finish in the triple jump (48-07.50). It was his second event this weekend, finishing 34th (23-06.75) in the long jump on Thursday.

His best mark of the night was on the second attempt of three, while recording 48-02.00 in the first attempt and fouling his third attempt. He has a personal-best mark of 51-11.75 set in the 2018 Summit League Outdoor Championships, which would have finished ninth in the event.

Last year, Courter finished 35th (49-05.75) in the triple jump and 35th (24-01.75) in the long jump.

Shot Put - Men - First Round
41. Leiseth, Mason (55-05.75)

Senior Mason Leiseth closed out his Jackrabbit track career with his 55-05.75-foot toss in his first career attempt at the NCAA Prelims. It was his first and only full season with the throwing group.

He owns the outdoor school record (58-00.25) in the shot put and is second all-time for the indoor records (56-01.25)! He finished eighth all-time in the discus (169-05.00).

Individual Jackrabbit Results - Day 2 | Day 2 Recap | Day 1 Recap
3,000m Steeplechase - Women - Quarterfinal
10. King, Rachel (9:57.75Q)

On the second day of the NCAA West Preliminaries, junior Rachel King earned an automatic qualifying bid to compete in the 3,000m steeplechase at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. on June 6-9.

She is the first female Jackrabbit to make it to the Division I championships in a track event. The last SDSU female to make it to the championships was Jazzelina Black in 2016 (TJ, 16th, 42-03.25). At least one SDSU student-athlete has competed at the NCAA Championships since 2016 (Black in 2016, Kyle Burdick in 2017 - 1,500m, 13th, 3:43.78, and now King in 2018).

The junior from St. Michael, Minn. finished third in her heat to earn the automatic bid with a personal-best mark (9:57.75) to beat her previous-best mark by 3.39 seconds and meet her goal of breaking the 10-minute barrier.

Notes
Past Female Jackrabbits at the NCAA Championships (2009-present, Division I)
2016: Jazzelina Black (TJ, 16th, 42-03.25)
2014: Mary Wirth (HJ, 12th, 5-09.75)
2010: Sara Ackman (DT, 22nd, 146-05.00)
2009: Sara Ackman (DT, 21st, 155-08.00)

King's past NCAA West Prelims performances
2018: 3,000S - 10th, 9:57.75
2017: 3,000S - 38th, 11:03.25
2016: 3,000S - 38th, 10:52.89

Discus - Women - First Round
36. Vollmer, Kasie (158-05.00)

Junior Kasie Vollmer also competed on the second day in Sacramento, Calif., finishing 36th (158-05.00) in the discus. It was her second consecutive attempt in the event at the prelims.

Individual Jackrabbit Results - Day 1 | Day 2 Recap | Day 1 Recap
100m - Men - First Round
37. Clarke, Daniel (10.52)

Freshman Daniel Clarke ran his first career event at the NCAA event. He was the first male Jackrabbit to qualify for the sprints section of the prelims.

1,500m - Men - First Round
13. Burdick, Kyle (3:46.70q)

Burdick added a 13th-best mark in the 1,500m to grab one of the four next-fastest qualifying spots.

He will be in the next round of the 1,500m on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. CST.

He is also competing in the 5,000m on Saturday at 10:05 p.m. CST.

Pole Vault - Men - First Round
27. Francom, Trent (16-04.75)

Freshman Trent Francom made his debut in the pole vault at the NCAA Prelims.

Long Jump - Men - First Round
34. Courter, Bryant (23-06.75w)

Sophomore Bryant Courter improved his place-finish from last year in the long jump, from 35th (24-01.75) to 34th. He has the triple jump on Saturday at 9:30pm CST (ranked 13th on the declaration sheet).

Hammer - Men - Prelims
30. Bender, Colton (196-00.00)

Senior Colton Bender improved his place-finish from last year. He finished 34th (198-01.00) in the 2017 NCAA West Prelims.

Bender closes his SDSU track and field career with his name holding a school record in the indoor weight throw (68-11.75) and the outdoor hammer throw (206-09.00).

-GoJacks.com-