Relay teams earn likely regional-qualifying times

PROVO, Utah – Three BYU relay teams ran potential qualifying times for the 2019 NCAA West Prelims on the final day of the Robison Invitational on Saturday.

“Getting our relay teams in position to qualify for the first round of the NCAA Championships was one of the big goals coming into the meet,” BYU head coach Ed Eyestone said. “To end the meet with our two 4x400m teams doing just that is a testament to the determination that they have. The fact we likely have three relays going to the regional meet is outstanding.”

The women’s 4x100m relay team clocked a 44.95 to put themselves on the bubble of securing a spot at regionals. The team consisting of Haley Rogers, Ellie Heiden-Quackenbush, Lauren Rawlinson and Jaslyn Gardner was seven-hundredths of a second shy of the school record.

Both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams are currently in regional-qualifying position after winning their races with times of 3:06.64 and 3:37.85, respectively. Abram Schaap, Colten Yardley, Blake Ellis and Michael Bluth ran on the men’s 4x400m. The women’s 4x400m team included Heiden-Quackenbush, Rawlinson, Rogers and Brenna Porter.

Four hurdlers finished with times that put them in contention to qualify for regionals. Porter ran a season-best 57.51 for first place in the 400m hurdles and Kaitlyn Gunnerson-Burrup earned a career-best 59.97. In the men’s 400m hurdles, Yardley finished in 51.39 for second place while Jesus Serrano ran a personal-best 52.36 to take fourth in the final.

After breaking BYU’s school record in the women’s 100m prelims with a time of 11.38 on Friday, Gardner took second overall in the final after clocking 11.61. Her record-breaking time puts her in a strong position to secure a spot at the NCAA West Prelims.

With a mark of 15.46m/50-8.75 in the triple jump, Rickey Fantroy Jr. broke his personal best for the second meet in a row while solidifying his regional-qualifying position. Conner Kennedy set a new personal record in the men’s long jump after jumping 7.27m/23-10.25.

Alissa Fielding took second place in the women’s mile with a time of 4:45.55. Her time converts to 4:24.48 in the 1500m, which puts her on the bubble for qualifying for regionals.

In the men’s 400m, Bluth strengthened his regional-qualifying position with a career-best 46.41 to take first overall. Teammate Blake Ellis also set a personal record with a 47.54 to finish in third.

Other notable personal-best marks included Ramarco Thompson’s 21.18 in the 200m, Kyle Strauss finishing the 110m hurdles in 14.43 and Lindsay Yetter-Shirley’s 14.02 in the 100m hurdles.

Andrea Stapleton-Johnson took first in the women’s high jump with a clearance of 1.79m/5-10.50 while Cameron Bates finished off the meet with a second-place finish in the javelin with a toss of 65.28m/214-02.

The Cougars honored 20 graduating seniors at the start of the meet. Eyestone noted that the talented group of seniors are a big reason why the team won the 2019 MPSF Indoor Championships and have done well nationally.

Full results for the 2019 Robison Invitational can be found on runnercard.com. A recap of the first two days of competition can be found here.

The Cougars will compete next week at the Payton Jordan Invitational (May 2) and Weber State Twilight (May 1-2). Information for those meets can be found on the BYU track and field team schedule page two days prior to the first meet.