Arastu, Forys Punch Ticket to NCAA Championships

Friday, May 27

Bloomington, Ind.

11:00 AM

Michigan

NCAA East Region Preliminary Rounds

5/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

May 27, 2011

Site: Bloomington, Ind. (Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex)
Event: NCAA East Region Preliminary Rounds (Day 2 of 3)
Result: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Saturday, May 28 -- at NCAA East Region Preliminary Rounds - Day Three (Bloomington, Ind.), 5 p.m.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Freshman Ali Arastu (Northville, Mich./Northville) and redshirt junior Craig Forys (Howell, N.J./Colts Neck) of the University of Michigan men's track and field team punched their ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships by virtue of their top-12 finishes at the NCAA East Region Preliminaries on Friday (May 27) at the Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex.

After advancing to the quarterfinals yesterday (Thursday, May 26), Arastu needed to finish among the top three in his heat today, or record one of the three fastest overall times in order to qualify for NCAAs. He did just that, finishing second in the second heat (sixth overall) with a career-best time of 50.90, ensuring his spot at the national meet. Forys followed in the last race of the evening, finishing 10th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:44.29). He finished fourth in the third heat but had one of the three fastest remaining times of the field, which was good enough for his qualification to the national meet.

For the second straight day, another Wolverine field competitor came within one spot of also heading to NCAAs, as sophomore pole vaulter Austin DeWildt (Wyoming, Mich./Catholic Central) finished 13th (5.15 meters/16-10 3/4 ft.). Like redshirt freshman high jumper Bradley James (East Lansing, Mich./Haslett) on Thursday, DeWildt ran into a bit of bad luck. He and three others hit the required height of 5.15 meters, but David Slovenski (Princeton) did it in one less attempt than DeWildt, giving Slovenski the tiebreak over DeWildt and the two others that cleared the height. Sophomore Jack Greenlee (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) also was in the pole vault, finishing in a tie for 16th (5.05 meters/16-6 3/4 ft.).

The other competitor in the field was redshirt freshman Ethan Dennis (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grandville) in the hammer throw, but he fouled on all three of his attempts and did not place.

Two other hurdlers were in action for Michigan in fifth-year senior Nick McCampbell (Detroit, Mich./Cass Tech) and freshman Herman Washington (Blacklick, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln) in the 110-meter high hurdles. In his final collegiate meet, McCampbell finished 30th (14.46) and Washington was 33rd (14.50).

The NCAA East Region Preliminary Rounds conclude on Saturday (May 28), beginning at 5 p.m. with the men's discus (Cody Riffle). Other athletes in action include Forys (5,000m run) and the 4x400-meter relay team (David St. Amant, Ali Arastu, Matthew Campbell, Aaron Taylor).

NCAA East Region Preliminaries (Day Two)

Event Winners/U-M Finishers (Day Two)

Hammer Throw 1. Marcel Lomnicky, Virginia Tech             73.91m (242-6)q--  Ethan Dennis, U-M                           FOUL 110-meter High Hurdles (Preliminaries) 1. Keith Hayes, Kentucky                      13.82q30. Nick McCampbell, U-M                       14.4633. Herman Washington, U-M                     14.50 400-meter Intermediate Hurdles (Semifinals) 1. David Aristil, South Florida               50.09q 6. Ali Arastu, U-M                            50.90q Pole Vault T1. Kolby Shepherd, Liberty                    5.20m (17-0 3/4)qT13. Austin DeWildt, U-M                        5.15m (16-10 3/4)T16. Jack Greenlee, U-M                         5.05m (16-6 3/4) 3,000-meter Steeplechase 1. Matt Hughes, Louisville                  8:35.74q10. Craig Forys, U-M                         8:44.29q