2018 NCAA Championships Schedule | USTFCCCA Champ Central | Broadcast Schedule | Live Results
EUGENE, ORE. – Two American Athletic Conference javelin throwers earned All-America honors, while Houston qualified five student-athletes and both its men’s relay teams for Friday’s finals at Day 1 of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on Wednesday.
Michael Criticos of Memphis, who won The American javelin throw in 2016 and finished third place this season, placed fifth at the national championship with his toss of 71.25 meters (233-9). He earned second team honors in 2015 and 2017. This year’s men’s javelin conference champion followed his American meet-record toss of 77.49 meters in May with an All-America nod after taking ninth place. His top throw traveled 70.26 meters (230-6).
The Houston men shined in the opening day, as seven Cougar athletes punched a ticket to Friday’s final. The seven student-athletes are the most qualified from any program at this year’s national meet. The Cougars started off the day defending their national championship title in the 4x100-meter relay, booking a trip to the finals with the second-fastest time in the event clocked at 38.53, good for bettering its all-time conference record. Houston’s team of John Lewis III, Elijah Hall, Mario Burke and Cameron Burrell passed the stick for one lap around the track.
Senior Brian Barraza was the first individual Cougar to advance to the finals after setting a school record with his time of 8:40.25 in the 3,000-meter steeple chase. His time was good for sixth-fastest in the semifinals and ranks No. 1 on The American’s all-time performance list. Tulane’s Emmanuel Rotich's season and a shot at the national championship came to an end as he placed sixth in his heat of the 3,000m steeplechase.
Burrell (10.07) and Hall (10.10) ran for the No. 1 and 2 spots, respectively, in the first heat of the 100-meter dash semifinals to earn automatic bids to Friday’s finals. Burke then won his heat at 10.10 seconds to join them in the finals, making Houston the first team since 2007 to send three men to compete for the 100m national title.
Kahmari Montgomery hit the track next for the 400-meter dash, completing the full lap in 44.92 seconds for fifth place and joining his teammates in the finals Friday. His 400m time is the fastest run in American Athletic Conference history. In the last event of Day 1, Houston's 4x400-meter relay team of Amere Lattin, Burke, Burrell and Trumaine Jefferson ran 3:06.51 to win heat two and punch a ticket to the finals. Memphis broke its school record with its time of 3:07.34 run by the relay squad of Calvin Austin, Jarred Pasley, Ryan Champlin, Naaman Norment.
The men’s national meet will continue Thursday with the decathlon and conclude on Friday with the remaining finals events. The coverage will be streamed on ESPN3 and ESPN. Twelve women are set to represent The American, as the NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship gets underway Thursday. Live coverage will begin at 12:50 p.m. ET on ESPN3.