Oates takes seventh; All-America first team honors
Eugene, Ore. – Samford track and field opened competition at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with redshirt-sophomore Tray Oates competing in the men's pole vault event on Wednesday at Hayward Field.
The talented vaulter cleared the first two standards on his first attempt before failing to clear the 5.45m mark late in the afternoon. Oates finished 7th overall at the championships to earn Samford points in the overall team standings while also becoming Samford's first USTFCCCA All-American First Team honroee.
"Really proud of Tray today as making All-American First Team is a huge accomplishment." Head Coach Rod Tiffin stated. "The conditions were not ideal with the swirling winds but he was able to persevere and clear a few bars to put Samford on the scoreboard."
Oates opened up the championship event by clearing the opening mark of 5.15m (16-10 ¾) on his very first attempt. He cleared the bar by making an adjustment to drift over towards the right side of the bar which allowed him to advance to the next standard.
The Acworth, Georgia native pushed past the second mark set at 5.30m (17-4 ½) just as easily as his first vault of the competition. The vault kept Oates on pace with the leaders in the event while also securing himself at least spot on the USTFCCCA All-American Second Team as eight other vaulters were eliminated from competition prior to his 5.30m clearance.
The only other Bulldog to achieve that feat on the men's side was former pole vaulter Michael Seaman in 2011. Seaman finished 16th overall that year with a clearance of 5.15m.
Oates continued to battle throughout as the swirling winds pushed vaulters off of their marks and by the time the 11 remaining vaulters were set to take on the standard of 5.45m only six had cleared 5.30m on their initial attempt which included Oates.
The trio of Oates along with Adam Bragg of Princeton and Cole Walsh of Oregon finished in a deadlock tie at 7th place as each recorded the same height in the same amount of attempts throughout the event.
Next up for the Bulldogs is Karisa Nelson as she readies herself to compete in the women's 1,500 meter run tomorrow.
Williams earns All-America status at NCAA Championships
EUGENE, Ore. – On Wednesday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships junior Michael Williams finished 14th in the 400-meter hurdles to earn second-team All-America honors.
In heat one of the 400mH, Williams finished sixth with a time of 51.02 which will not advance him to the NCAA final on Friday. It was one of the most difficult heats of the evening as three of the top ten fastest time in the nation joined Williams in the heat.
Overall, the Mt.Laurel, N.J., native placed 14th which earns him Second Team All-American honors, the first Buccaneer track and field athlete to do so since Tyler Stepp back in 2014.
"Mike represented ETSU in a fine fashion today as he ran his second-fastest time ever and earned second team All-America honors," said director of track and field George Watts.
The time of 51.02 was the second fastest time of Williams career in the 400mH. Williams was the first men's track athlete to make it to the NCAA Championships since James Rainer did so in the 100 meter back in 2005.
"Not making the final will keep him hungry for more," said Watts. "We look forward to many more great races next year."
It was a historic season for Williams who became the first Buccaneer since Tyler Stepp to make it to the NCAA Championships in Eugene. The junior hurdler won his second straight Southern Conference championship in the 400mH with a time of 51.81. Williams backed up that performance by setting a new personal best of 50.49 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA East Prelims.
Reeder sets school record to advance to NCAA Finals in 3,000m steeplechase
EUGENE, Ore. – Furman junior Troy Reeder placed third in his heat and tenth overall with a school-record time of 8:36.51 to advance to the finals of the 3,000m Steeplechase Wednesday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. The finals of the event will be held Friday at 5:54 p.m. PT.
Reeder's time breaks the previous program record of 8:41.63, set by Tripp Hurt in 2015.
Reeder reached the semifinals after placing second in his heat with a time of 8:41.99 at the East Preliminaries in Jacksonville last month. His time ranked tenth overall among the three heats at the prelims.
He led the Paladins with a second-place finish at the 2015 SoCon Cross Country Championships, helping Furman to its third-consecutive championship. Reeder finished second in the 3,000m, third in the mile, and fourth in the 5,000m at the league indoor meet, then opened the outdoor season by setting a new Paladin record of 13:59.86 in the 5,000m at the Raleigh Relays. He went on to win the title in the 1,500m and place second in the 5,000m at the SoCon Outdoor Championships.
Furman junior Allie Buchalski will compete in the finals of the 5,000m Saturday at 5:25 p.m. PT. She reached the finals after setting a new Paladin record with a time of 16:08.10 at the East Preliminaries. Buchalski, who ranked 19th among athletes in the East entering the event, bested her own previous school record of 16:11.71, to win her heat and notch the fastest qualifying time in the event.
The 2015 & 2016 SoCon Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year, Buchalski became the first All-American in the history of the Paladin cross country program after placing seventh at the NCAA Championships in November. Buchalski was chosen the SoCon Women's Indoor Track Most Outstanding Athlete after recording victories in the mile, 3,000m, and 5,000m then won the 5,000m title and finished second in the 1,500m at the SoCon Outdoor Championships. She holds the Paladin record of 10:13.10 in the 3,000m Steeplechase, an event in which she competed at last year's NCAA Outdoor Championships.