Cougars collect 11 entries for 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships

PROVO, Utah – BYU track and field secured 11 entries to the 2021 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The complete list of national qualifiers was released Tuesday night.

With 11 total entries, the Cougars will send 10 individual qualifiers and one distance medley relay team. The women’s team secured eight entries, including the DMR team, and the men’s team secured three individual entries.

Due to health and safety protocols, the 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships will be three days this year (March 11-13), with separate men’s and women’s sessions on days two and three.

Men’s Entries

Lucas Bons
Event: Mile
Qualifying Mark: 3:55.45
Seed: No. 3

First NCAA Indoor Championships selection … ran a personal-best time of 3:55.45 at the Husky Classic (Feb. 26) … currently ranks No. 2 on BYU Top 10 list … one of two BYU runners to ever run a sub-3:56 mile.

Zach McWhorter
Event: Pole Vault
Qualifying Mark: 5.76m/18-10.75
Seed: No. 2

Second NCAA Indoor Championships selection … previously qualified for the pole vault in 2020 before the championship meet was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic … broke the BYU school record with a clearance of 5.76m/18-10.75 at the BYU Cougar Invite II (Feb. 4) … has won six of seven events this season, taking second place once to NCAA-leader KC Lightfoot.

Caleb Witsken
Event: Pole Vault
Qualifying Mark: 5.52m/18-1.25
Seed: No. 6

First NCAA Indoor Championships selection … cleared a personal-best 5.52m/18-1.25 at the BYU Cougar Invite III (Feb. 18) … currently ranks No. 4 on BYU Top 10 list … currently ranks No. 7 on BYU Top 10 list in the heptathlon with 5,423 points (Jan. 15).

Women’s Entries

Halley Folsom Walker
Event: Heptathlon
Qualifying Mark: 3,954 points
Seed: No. 15

First NCAA Indoor Championships selection … scored personal-best 3,954 at the Championships at the Peak (Feb. 25) … currently ranks No. 4 on BYU Top 10 list.

Heather Hanson
Event: Mile
Qualifying Mark: 4:36.49
Seed: No. 6

First NCAA Indoor Championships selection … ran a personal-best 4:36.49 at the Husky Classic (Feb. 26) … currently ranks No. 6 on the BYU Top 10 list.

Kate Hunter
Event: Mile
Qualifying Mark: 4:37.17
Seed: No. 7

First NCAA Indoor Championships selection … ran a personal-best 4:37.17 at the Husky Classic (Feb. 26) … currently ranks No. 7 on the BYU Top 10 list.

Simone Plourde
Event: Mile
Qualifying Mark: 4:37.24
Seed: No. 8

First NCAA Indoor Championships selection … ran a personal-best 4:37.24 at the Husky Classic (Feb. 26) … currently ranks No. 8 on the BYU Top 10 list.

Claire Seymour
Event: 800m
Qualifying Mark: 2:02.20
Seed: No. 3

First NCAA Indoor Championships selection … ran a personal-best 2:02.20 at the Husky Classic (Feb. 26) … currently ranks No. 2 on the BYU Top 10 list.

Courtney Wayment
Event: 3000m
Qualifying Mark: 8:54.90
Seed: No. 1

First NCAA Indoor Championships selection … ran a personal-best 8:54.90 at the UW Invite (Feb. 12) … currently ranks No. 2 on the BYU Top 10 list … also held the top women’s mile time in the NCAA this year, clocking a 4:30.47 at the Husky Classic (Feb. 26) … currently ranks No. 2 in the women’s mile on the BYU Top 10 list and No. 10 in the 800m (2:05.76).

Olivia Hoj Simister
Event: 3000m
Qualifying Mark: 8:56.91
Seed: No. 4

First NCAA Indoor Championships selection … ran a personal-best time of 8:56.91 at the UW Invite (Feb. 12) … currently ranks No. 5 on the BYU Top 10 list … also ran the third-fastest women’s mile time in the NCAA (4:31.73) that ranks No. 3 on the BYU Top 10 list.

Distance Medley Relay Team
Team: Alena Ellsworth, Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes, Olivia Hoj Simister, Courtney Wayment
Qualifying Mark: 11:03.62
Seed: No. 7

Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes’ third appearance on the DMR team at the NCAA Indoor Championships … Alena Ellsworth’s second championship appearance on the DMR team … fifth consecutive year BYU has qualified a women’s DMR team .. ran a season-best 11:03.62 at the UW Preview (Jan. 29).

A full list of entries can be found on ncaa.com.