WASHINGTON – Despite a water-logged evening that extended the competition day by nearly five hours, the Georgetown University track & field team had a successful Thursday at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field East Preliminary Championships with a pair of Hoyas punching their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship finals site as well as another advancing to Saturday's quarterfinals. A quartet of Hoyas competed on Thursday at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track and Field Facility in Lexington. The meet continues through Saturday, May 25.
 
FOLLOW THE HOYAS

• The meet serves as a precursor to the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, held June 5-8, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon.
• The four-day championship will be streamed live on ESPN+ with links to each day's coverage as well as live results found on the schedule on GUHoyas.com.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Because of weather conditions, the women's 10,000-meter semifinal was originally moved up three hours and then delayed to more than an hour after its original start time. All-American Chloe Scrimgeour ran a smart race, staying toward the front half of the pack through 6,000 meters before starting to make her move. With six laps to go, she was leading the pack and setting the pace before the collegiate record holder from Florida made her move. Scrimgeour clocked 32:53.74 to finish third and handily qualify to the 10,000m finals in Eugene, Oregon.
• All-American Maggie Donahue was in the second half of the pack through much of the race. However, as the field approached the final laps, Donahue dug deep and started picking off runners and moved up to 10th place to ensure a spot in Eugene for the finals. Her time of 33:11.60 was a season best for Donahue.
• With inclement weather expected in the Lexington area, track events were moved up three hours earlier as All-American Melissa Riggins and Chloe Gonzalez took the track in the women's 1,500m first round. The duo competed in the last of a four-heat first round with Riggins staying among the top group wire to wire, clocking 4:13.60 to finish second in the heat to earn an automatic qualifying spot.
• Gonzalez took seventh in the heat with a time of 4:18.47, falling short of advancing to Saturday's quarterfinal.

 
2024 NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD EAST PRELIMINARY CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
Friday, May 24, 2024
5:15 p.m. - Men's 1,500m Quarterfinals (H1 of 2: Abel Teffra; H2 of 2: Camden Gilmore)
5:40 p.m. - Men's 3,000m Steeplechase Quarterfinals (H1 of 3: Peter Herold, Parker Stokes)
7:05 p.m. - Men's 800m Quarterfinals (H2 of 3: Gabriele Angiono; Tim McInerney; H3 of 3: Tinoda Matsatsa)
 
Saturday, May 25, 2024
5:15 p.m. - Women's 1,500m Quarterfinals (H2 of 2: Melissa Riggins)
5:40 p.m. - Women's 3,000m Steeplechase Quarterfinals (H2 of 3: Barrett Justema; H3 of 3: Mary Hennelly)
8:10 p.m. - Women's 5,000m Semifinals (H2 of 2: Chloe Scrimgeour)