NCAA T&F PREVIEW: Timberwolves Have Sights Set On All-American Honors In Texas
KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – Four Northwood track & field athletes are set to compete at the 2019 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Thursday-Saturday (May 23-25), hosted by Texas A&M University-Kingsville at Javelina Stadium.
The Timberwolves will be represented by senior Rami Gharsalli, sophomores Mason Phillips and Austin Hamlet, and freshman Andrew Davis. Gharsalli will run the 110 meter hurdles and Phillips will compete in the 100 and 200 meters. Those two will team up with Davis and Hamlet to compete in the 4x100 meter relay.
Gharsalli will be making his third consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championships appearance, while Phillips and Hamlet will be making their second appearance. Davis will be making his NCAA Championships debut.
MEET BREAKDOWN
THURSDAY'S SCHEDULE FOR NU
MEN'S 4X100 METER RELAY PRELIMS (5:45 PM CST/6:45 PM EST): Austin Hamlet, Mason Phillips, Rami Gharsalli, Andrew Davis
The quartet will enter the meet ranked 11th and compete in the second prelim heat in lane two. The top two teams in each prelim automatically qualify for the final plus the next four best times
School Record: 40.45 (Gharsalli, Bent, Hamlet, Phillips – 2018)
Previous NU All-Americans in 4x100 meter relay: Gharsalli, Bent, Hamlet, Phillips – 2018
MEN'S 100 METERS PRELIMS (7:10 PM CST/8:10 PM EST): Mason Phillips
Phillips will be competing in the 100 meters at the NCAA Championships for the first time in his career. His school record and NCAA qualifying time of 10.34 seconds, achieved at the Mount Olive Final Qualifier, has him seeded No. 11 entering the meet. He was also the GLIAC Champion in the event this year (10.43 seconds).
Phillips will compete in heat one in lane two. The top two finishers in the three prelim rounds will auto-qualify for finals, followed by the next two fastest times.
School Record: 10.34 (Mason Phillips – 2019)
Previous NU All-Americans in 100 meters: none
FRIDAY'S SCHEDULE FOR NU
MEN'S 200 METERS PRELIMS (5:50 PM CST/6:50 EST): Mason Phillips
Phillips will compete in the 200 meters at the NCAA Championships for the second time in his career. The NCAA Indoor Runner-Up will look to make some noise as the underdog, coming into the outdoor meet ranked 20th. At last year's NCAA Championships, he ran to 21.25 to finish 13th in prelims, narrowly missing Second Team All-America honors.
In a mirror image of the NCAA Indoor Championships, Phillips is slotted in lane seven with defending NCAA Champion Mobolade Ajomale on his outside in lane eight. This heat also features the top seed, and should be one of the fastest prelims in the event. The top two finishers in the three prelim heats will advance to finals, followed by the next fastest times.
School Record: 20.86 (Haddow Weatherbone – 2002)
Previous NU All-Americans in 200 meters: none
MEN'S 110 METER HURDLE PRELIMS (6:55 PM CST/7:55 PM EST): Rami Gharsalli
Gharsalli will compete in his signature event one final time at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He will go to Texas with the second fastest time this year and aim for gold in his final outing - his time of 13.92 seconds came at the Mount Olive Final Qualifier, and inching himself closer to the NU school record. He is also one of three athletes to break the 14 second barrier this season in the 110 hurdles.
In 2017, Gharsalli finished sixth with a time of 14.00 seconds for First-Team All-America honors.
Gharsalli will compete in heat two of three in lane seven. Eight will advance to the final - the top two finishers in each heat plus the next fastest times
School Record: 13.87 (Lionel Campbell – 1980)
Previous NU All-Americans in 100 meter hurdles: Gharsalli (6th - 2017)
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE FOR NU
MEN'S 4X100 METER RELAY FINALS (5:20 PM CST/6:20 PM EST): Austin Hamlet, Mason Phillips, Rami Gharsalli, Andrew Davis
The 4x100 meter relay will earn the chance to compete for First-Team All-America honors if the relay has one of the top eight times through the preliminary rounds and getting the baton around the track cleanly. It took 40.50 and 40.52 seconds the last two championship meets to make the event finals.
MEN'S 110 METER HURDLE FINALS (6:05 PM CST/7:05 PM EST): Rami Gharsalli
Gharsalli will have the opportunity to compete for First-Team All-America honors upon advancing through prelims. It took 14.11 seconds in 2018 and 14.07 seconds in 2017 to make the 110 meter hurdle finals.
MEN'S 100 METERS FINALS (6:45 PM CST/7:45 PM EST): Mason Phillips
Phillips will have the opportunity to compete for First-Team All-America honors upon advancing through prelims. It took 10.50 seconds in 2018 and 10.48 seconds in 2017 to make the 100 meter finals.
MEN'S 200 METERS FINALS (7:55 PM CST/8:55 PM EST): Mason Phillips
Phillips will have the opportunity to compete for First-Team All-America honors upon advancing through prelims. It took 21.10 seconds in 2018 and 21.20 seconds in 2017 to make the 200 meter finals.