Track and field looks to secure regional qualifiers at Last Chance Meet

PROVO, Utah — No. 12 BYU women’s track and field will compete in its final meet of the regular season at the BYU Last Chance Meet at Clarence Robison Track and Field Complex May 12-13.

BYU Last Chance Meet | May 12-13

• Venue: Clarence Robison Track and Field Complex | Provo, Utah
• Friday events begin at 10:45 a.m. MDT with the heptathlon 100-meter hurdles.
• Saturday events begin at 7:50 a.m. MDT with the men's 10,000-meters. 
• Free admission

As an outdoor track and field Independent, the Cougars are without access to a conference championship meet this weekend. The Last Chance Meet represents a vital opportunity for BYU to shore-up entries for the NCAA West Preliminary meet to be held in Sacramento May 24-27.  Athletes with the top-48 marks or times qualify to compete at the regional and there vie for a spot at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas June 7-10.

BYU currently has 23 likely entries (top-39 rankings) across 11 different events. This includes five in the 1500-meters, three in the 5,000-meters, four in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and three pole vaulters.

Five BYU women are just within qualifying range with rankings 40th through 45th in the region. Jacey Farmer (1,500m), Riley Chamberlain, Lizzie Dildine and Destiny Everett (3,000m steeplechase) and Jessica Thompson each have work to do to retain their hold on a qualifying spot.

At 42nd in the West, the women’s 4x400-meter relay squad of Marianne Barber, Annalise Hart, Dolita Shaw and Brilee Pontius may also need to improve their season-best of 3:38.67 to hold onto qualifying.

Four Cougars are on the outside looking in heading into the Last Chance Meet. Jaslyn Gardner needs to improve a season-best 23.51 to 23.45 for qualifying position in the 200-meters. Heather Hanson needs to run 4:18.64 to advance in the 1,500m. Thompson is one spot out in the shot put and needs a quarter-inch improvement on her season-best to reach Sacramento. Freshman javelin thrower Mary DeGraffenried must improve to 45.97-meters/150-10 for qualifying.

At the national level, BYU boasts 10 top-25 ranked women, tying the Cougars with Oklahoma for ninth-most among all Division I teams.

2023 marks the Cougars’ final season holding the Last Chance Meet. Beginning in 2024, BYU will compete in the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the second weekend in May.