Michigan
NCAA East Preliminaries
Flanagan Advances to NCAA Championships in 10,000 Meters
5/24/2018 11:40:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
Site: Tampa, Fla. (USF Track & Field Stadium)
Event: NCAA East Preliminary Rounds (Day 1 of 3)
U-M Team Result: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Friday, May 25 -- NCAA East Preliminary Rounds - Day 2 (Tampa, Fla.), 3 p.m.
TAMPA, Fla. -- Two weekends ago, Ben Flanagan of the University of Michigan men's track and field team reclaimed his 2016 Big Ten title at 10,000 meters. Thursday night (May 24) at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, he booked his ticket to nationals for the first time since 2016.
With lightning flashing in the distance of the storm-delayed race, Flanagan unleashed the same relentless late-race kick that won him the Big Ten title to run a 29:17.24 for third place and a berth to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 6-9 in Eugene, Oregon.
TICKET PUNCHED! Ben Flanagan @bennyflanagan is going to the #NCAATF Championships in the 10k! He unleashes a killer kick to take 3rd in a career-best 29:17.24 #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/Ka1xQkoS7w
— Michigan Track & Field / Cross Country (@UMichTrack) May 25, 2018
Flanagan is the first Wolverine to secure his trip to Eugene this weekend, while hurdler Taylor McLaughlin took another step toward earning his third consecutive berth in the 400-meter hurdles by advancing to Friday's quarterfinals earlier in the day.
After spending the first half of the race near the back of a 48-man pack, Flanagan began his move toward the front about 4,000 meters into the race. By the time he crossed the 5,000-meter halfway split in just under 15 minutes, he was among a lead group that had shrunk to approximately 30 runners.
With each passing lap, Flanagan continued to creep up toward the front. With about 3,000 meters to go, he had pushed his way up into the 17-man lead group as the pace, driven by a pair of Alabama runners up front, continued to ratchet down.
With a mile to go, Flanagan had worked his way up to 12th -- only the top 12 men earn berths to NCAAs -- in a 14-man lead group.
With 800 meters to go he crossed the line inside the top 10 and climbed up the lead group coming down the homestretch approaching the final lap, ultimately taking the bell lap in second place.
Flanagan continued to push the pace out front, briefly taking the lead with 200 meters to go as he battled with Alabama's Vincent Kiprop and Campbell's Lawrence Kipkoech out front, ultimately losing out to the two Kenyans to take third.
When the dust had settled, Flanagan's final 1,600 meters of the race clocked 4:19.48, including a 65.05 on the second-to-last lap -- best of anyone in the field on that lap -- and a 57.51 in the final 400 meters, second only to Kipkoech.
With his trip to Eugene officially secured, Flanagan's advancement marks the fourth time in the past five years a Wolverine will compete in the NCAA Championships 10,000-meter final.
Earlier in the day, McLaughlin cruised to victory and through to Friday's quarterfinals in his heat of the 400-meter hurdles under hot and humid conditions at South Florida's USF Track and Field Stadium, headlining an early session of competition that was moved forward due to the threat of tropical weather in the area.
The two-time All-American 400-meter hurdler McLaughlin took his heat win in 50.56 -- his fastest first-round time at the NCAA East Prelims -- to seal up his berth to Friday's quarterfinal as the No. 4 seed.
Teammate Roland Amarteifio was unable to join him in the quarterfinals, clocking 52.70 to take 36th overall in his Prelims debut.
McLaughlin will return to the track Friday at 2:30 p.m. in search of a third-consecutive trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He was fifth at that meet as a freshman in 2016, and 11th a year ago.
He will be competing Friday as part of an already altered schedule that was further changed as of Thursday afternoon. Below is the updated schedule for Friday's competition:
| Wolverines Competing This Weekend | |||
| FRIDAY, MAY 25 | |||
| Name | Event | Round | Time (ET) |
| Taylor McLaughlin | 400 meter hurdles | Quarterfinal | 2:30 PM |
| Jade Harrison | 200 meter dash | First Round | 3:25 PM |
| Connor Mora | Steeplechase | Quarterfinal | 8:00 PM |
| Claire Borchers | Steeplechase | Quarterfinal | 8:40 PM |
| Sarah Zieve | Steeplechase | Quarterfinal | 8:40 PM |
In the hammer throw, two-time All-American and school record-holder Joe Ellis' season came to an unexpected conclusion as he was unable to break the top-12 qualifying threshold with a 15th place finish. Grant Cartwright was just behind in 17th, with Manning Plater 37th.
Ellis topped out at 65.47m (214 feet, 9 inches) on his second attempt, bookended by a foot-foul on his first attempt and a foul off the cage on his third to bring his run at a third consecutive NCAA meet to an end. Cartwright found himself in a pinch on his third-and-final attempt after two consecutive fouls to start his day, and could only manage 65.12m (213-8).
No finals are conducted in any throws or horizontal jumps events this weekend, leaving just three rounds of attempts for athletes to post their best marks.
FULL MICHIGAN RESULTS BY EVENT
Q = Automatic qualifier to NCAA East Prelims quarterfinals
q = Non-automatic qualifier to NCAA East Prelims quarterfinals
w = wind-aided (greater than 2.0 meter-per-second [m/s] wind
5,000 Meters (Semifinals)
To be contested Saturday
10,000 Meters (Semifinals)
3. Ben Flanagan / 29:17.24 (Advanced to NCAA Championships)
400-Meter Hurdles (First Round)
Quarterfinals to be contested Friday
4. Taylor McLaughlin / 50.56Q
36. Roland Amarteifio / 52.7
3,000-Meter Steeplechase (Quarterfinals)
To be contested Friday
High Jump (First Round)
To be contested Saturday
Triple Jump (First Round)
To be contested Saturday
Shot Put (First Round)
To be contested Saturday
Hammer Throw (First Round)
15. Joe Ellis / 65.47m (214-9)
17. Grant Cartwright / 65.12m (213-8)
37. Manning Plater / 59.01m (193-7)
