Saturday, May 25
Jacksonville, Fla.
Michigan State University
at
NCAA First Round
Spartans Complete NCAA East Prelims With Three More Tickets Punched
5/25/2019 10:56:00 PM | Track and Field
A total of six MSU athletes will move on to the NCAA Finals
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Michigan State track & field completed the final day of the NCAA East Preliminary Round at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville with three more athletes advancing to the NCAA Finals. Senior Justine Kiprotich, junior Dillon McClintock and sophomore Morgan Beadlescomb will all head to Austin.
Track Events
For the third-straight season, Kiprotich will advance to the NCAA Finals in the men's 1,500m. Running in the first of two heats, the senior finished second with a time of 3:49.57. Overall, he finished 10th. The senior was amongst the leaders for the majority of the race. In 2017, Kiprotich was the NCAA runner up in Eugene, while finishing seventh last season.
McClintock will make her second-straight trip to the NCAA Finals in the women's 1,500m. The junior was an automatic qualifier finishing fifth in her heat and 12th overall with a time of 4:20.42. Kiprotich and McClintock are the only two repeat performers for Michigan State from last season.
Sophomore Morgan Beadlescomb will make his first appearance in the NCAA Finals in the men's 5,000m. Beadlescomb finished second in his heat and 13th overall with a time of 14:15.06. It was his second-best time of the season. Indiana's Kyle Mauwon the race, clocking in at 14:00.41.
"Morgan has been training exceptionally well. The conference meet race was very similar today in terms of it being very tactical. He handled himself really well. I think tactically he took a lot of what happened at Big Tens and translated it to this race. His poise and following the race plan were both outstanding today," MSU Director of Track & Field Walt Drenth said.
In the women's 5,000m, senior Erin McDonald toughed out the race, despite losing a shoe mid-race. Despite the issues, she completed the race with one shoe, finishing 31st with a time of 16:59.23.
Senior WIll Agodu completed his Spartan career in the ultra-competitive men's 110m hurdles. He finished 18th in the quarterfinals a time of 13.89, completing a solid career then ended with the Big Ten Championship this season.
Field Events
Michigan State had only two compete in the field events on Saturday. Sophomores Kayli Johnson and Nikole Sargent both saw action in the women's shot put. Johnson finished 25th with a heave of 15.67m on her third attempt. Sargent finished 42nd with a long throw of 14.73m in her second attempt.
The Spartans will now prepare for the NCAA Finals that will be held from June 5-8 in Austin, Texas. Michigan State will send six athletes to Austin in Morgan Beadlescomb (5,000m), Jerimiah Evans (Discus), Justine Kiprotich (1,500m), Dillon McClintock (1,500m), Asya Reynolds (heptathlon) and Karrigan Smith (3,000m steeplechase)
"I think that everybody that advanced has a chance to score, and that is what you want. On the men's side, Jerimiah, Justine and Morgan all three have a chance to do really well. On the women's side, Asya just keeps getting better every week. She had a great week of training. We have seen growth from Karrigan every time that she races, so we expect her to do well. The way that Dillon has learned to run in championship races, she has a good chance to score this time around," Drenth said.
3️⃣ more Spartans advance to the NCAA Finals! 👀 Coach Drenth wrap up the weekend! #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/UOro32vFnP
— MSU Track & Field/XC (@MSUTrackFieldXC) May 26, 2019
Track Events
For the third-straight season, Kiprotich will advance to the NCAA Finals in the men's 1,500m. Running in the first of two heats, the senior finished second with a time of 3:49.57. Overall, he finished 10th. The senior was amongst the leaders for the majority of the race. In 2017, Kiprotich was the NCAA runner up in Eugene, while finishing seventh last season.
McClintock will make her second-straight trip to the NCAA Finals in the women's 1,500m. The junior was an automatic qualifier finishing fifth in her heat and 12th overall with a time of 4:20.42. Kiprotich and McClintock are the only two repeat performers for Michigan State from last season.
Sophomore Morgan Beadlescomb will make his first appearance in the NCAA Finals in the men's 5,000m. Beadlescomb finished second in his heat and 13th overall with a time of 14:15.06. It was his second-best time of the season. Indiana's Kyle Mauwon the race, clocking in at 14:00.41.
"Morgan has been training exceptionally well. The conference meet race was very similar today in terms of it being very tactical. He handled himself really well. I think tactically he took a lot of what happened at Big Tens and translated it to this race. His poise and following the race plan were both outstanding today," MSU Director of Track & Field Walt Drenth said.
🗣 Morgan Beadlescomb talks about the 5k race that sends him to Austin for the NCAA Finals! pic.twitter.com/RBA5tH024o
— MSU Track & Field/XC (@MSUTrackFieldXC) May 26, 2019
In the women's 5,000m, senior Erin McDonald toughed out the race, despite losing a shoe mid-race. Despite the issues, she completed the race with one shoe, finishing 31st with a time of 16:59.23.
Senior WIll Agodu completed his Spartan career in the ultra-competitive men's 110m hurdles. He finished 18th in the quarterfinals a time of 13.89, completing a solid career then ended with the Big Ten Championship this season.
Field Events
Michigan State had only two compete in the field events on Saturday. Sophomores Kayli Johnson and Nikole Sargent both saw action in the women's shot put. Johnson finished 25th with a heave of 15.67m on her third attempt. Sargent finished 42nd with a long throw of 14.73m in her second attempt.
The Spartans will now prepare for the NCAA Finals that will be held from June 5-8 in Austin, Texas. Michigan State will send six athletes to Austin in Morgan Beadlescomb (5,000m), Jerimiah Evans (Discus), Justine Kiprotich (1,500m), Dillon McClintock (1,500m), Asya Reynolds (heptathlon) and Karrigan Smith (3,000m steeplechase)
"I think that everybody that advanced has a chance to score, and that is what you want. On the men's side, Jerimiah, Justine and Morgan all three have a chance to do really well. On the women's side, Asya just keeps getting better every week. She had a great week of training. We have seen growth from Karrigan every time that she races, so we expect her to do well. The way that Dillon has learned to run in championship races, she has a good chance to score this time around," Drenth said.
Players Mentioned
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