A day after BYU’s men’s long distance runners placed 1-3-4 in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, BYU’s women got their turn to shine.
Five BYU women ran in Thursday’s preliminaries, and four advanced to the finals in their events at Mike Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.
Most notably, one of BYU’s best chances to add another national championship like the one Clayton Young got Wednesday in the 10,000 meters, Erica Birk-Jarvis, easily advanced in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Birk-Jarvis, who returned to the team after giving birth to a son last year, was third in her heat with a time of 9 minutes, 52.43 seconds and advanced to Saturday’s final.
BYU’s Whittni Orton posted a time of 4:14.37 to finish fifth in her heat in the 1,500 meters and advanced to Saturday’s finals.
BYU’s Anna Camp posted a personal best time of 2:03.65 to finish third in her 800 meters heat and moved to the finals as a time qualifier.
BYU’s Brenna Porter finished fourth in her heat of the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 57.03 seconds and also advanced as a time qualifier.
BYU’s Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes finished fourth in her heat, 11th overall, in the 800 meters with a time of 2:04.52 and did not make the finals.
In the rain-delayed men’s decathlon, BYU’s Brian Matthews was in 10th place heading into the final event late Thursday, the 1,500 meters. Matthews threw a PR mark of 58.0 meters (190 feet, 3 inches) in the javelin.
Among other locals, Utah State’s Cierra Simmons-Mecham completed her outstanding college career by placing 20th in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Simmons-Mecham earned honorable mention All-America honors with a time of 10 minutes, 23.90 seconds in the semifinals and did not advance to the finals.
Weber State’s Tawnie Moore ran a 13.03 to finish 11th in the 110-meter hurdles and did not advance to the finals.
Southern Utah’s Angie Nickerson will compete in the 5,000 meter finals on Saturday as the school record-holder in the event.
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