WASHINGTON – In the first event of the day,
Melissa Riggins advanced to the 1,500-meter quarterfinals of the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships East Preliminary on Thursday. The sophomore ran an automatic qualifying time at the Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida. The four-day meet serves as a precursor to the finals site of the NCAA Championships, held June 7-10 in Austin, Texas.
ON THE RECORD
"Today was everything you'd expect from an NCAA championship - competitive racing with the individual highs and lows of this level of sport. Corman and Jensen didn't quite have enough to qualify through in the 1,500m, Gonzalez was taken out by sickness, and Claeson raced superbly through 3/4 of the 10,000m but didn't have her best stuff at the end to nab a qualifier; she's already regrouped for Saturday's 5,000m. Those four women had awesome seasons in those events. Riggins put together a great race to win her 1500m heat; she got to the front and avoided some traffic at an opportune time to move away from a talented field." - Assistant Track & Field Coach
Mitchell Baker
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Riggins clocked 4:22.70 to win the third heat and earn an automatic qualifying spot. At the bell, Riggins pushed into another gear and took over the lead. She held off the group with the fastest split in the third heat, going 1:03.02 to close, and finished 21st overall.
- Competing in the same heat as Riggins was teammate Sami Corman. Corman stayed up at the front and helped set the tone through the first 1,100 meters. As the field picked up the pace, Corman could not get the best position and she crossed the finish line at 4:27.66 to finish 10th in the heat and 41st overall.
- Grace Jensen competed in the first of four heats, finishing eighth in her heat with a time of 4:23.76. Staying with the pack until the bell, Jensen trailed slightly behind as others were weaving through to find a spot at the front. Her time was good enough for 25th overall.
- In the final event on the track, Andrea Claeson finished 29th in the women's 10,000-meter semifinal with a time of 34:37.81. Despite breaking 1:20 on lap 20, her second-fastest 400-meter split of the day, Claeson could not muster up a strong enough kick to make her way through the pack of runners and slipped back on the final few laps and was unable to snag a spot in the finals in Austin.
OF NOTE
- Riggins will compete in the NCAA 1,500m quarterfinals for the first time in her career. She previously competed in an outdoor quarterfinal during the 2022 season in the 800m. She finished 13th overall, falling just short of advancing to the semifinals.
2023 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS EAST PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE
Friday, May 26
5:15 p.m. - Men's 1,500m Quarterfinals (Gilmore, Payamps)
5:40 p.m. - Men's 3,000m Steeplechase Quarterfinals (Stokes, Tostenson)
Saturday, May 27
5:15 p.m. - Women's 1,500m Quarterfinals (Riggins)
8:10 p.m. - Women's 5,000m Semifinal (Claeson, Scrimgeour)
