Beginning Wednesday, four Arizona Wildcats track and field athletes will compete in the sport’s biggest event: the NCAA outdoor championships.
The UA’s Shannon Meisberger and Talie Bonds, Jared O’Riley and Reinaldo Rodrigues on the men’s team take center stage at Hayward Field in Eugene after qualifying for the championships during last weekend’s prelims.
All four will face the toughest level of competition they’ve seen this year.
“There’s going to be athletes here who are going to be in the Olympic games that are not going to make the finals in some of these events,” UA coach Fred Harvey said. “For us to be a part of this is super important.”
The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be televised by the various ESPN networks starting Wednesday and running through Saturday. Prelims are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, with the finals slated for Friday and SAturday.
The four athletes arrived in Eugene Monday and have been going through final training tuneups. Here’s a look at all four:
Shannon Meisberger
The NCAA runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles a year ago, Meisberger returns for her second go at the event. The senior clocked a personal-best time of 56.39 seconds last weekend to qualify for the championships.
“It’s been a lot of fixing minor errors in my hurdling to get as technically sound as possible so I have the best flow when I’m racing,” Meisberger said.
Meisberger is in the second of Thursday’s three heats. Meisberger is the only Wildcat a previous appearance in the NCAA Championships; the Wildcats are relying on her experience as they prepare.
“She has a different type of experience that they’re all excited and gravitating to,” Harvey said. “These competitions are held together, so her experience has been really helpful for both genders.”
Talie Bonds
It took a last-second lean over the finish line, but Bonds secured a spot in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.85, fifth-fastest among all qualifiers.
“I was in tears when I found out,” Bonds said. “It’s all I’ve wanted as a collegiate athlete.”
Bonds has been training well late in the year, Harvey said. She’s notched several personal bests.
“My mindset going in there is you’ve got to execute and do the best you can otherwise you won’t advance,” Bonds said.
Bonds is in the second of Thursday’s three heats for the 100-meter hurdles.
Jared O’Riley
O’Riley is one of just three Pac-12 athletes to make the NCAA Championships in the javelin. He narrowly made the field: O’Riley’s throw of 67.93 meters at the prelims was a personal best for the sophomore and 10th-best in the field of 12.
“We had a good feeling that I was going to make it. And now that I made it, it was a big relief,” O’Riley said.
Only the top eight of the 12 qualify for the final throw, meaning O’Riley will need another personal best to move on.
“It’s going to take a huge effort to get into that top eight,” Harvey said. “But he’s been trained in a way that he’s hitting his peak.”
O’Riley is in the first of two flights for the javelin on Wednesday.
Reinaldo Rodrigues
Competing in the long jump, Rodrigues logged a 7.73-meter jump in qualifying to make the championships. It was 0.02 meters shy of his personal best, giving the freshman from Brazil confidence heading into this week.
“The preparation is just applying everything from the season,” Rodrigues said. “I feel like if I do the right thing, I’m going to place… I’m feeling good for this weekend.”
In his first year at Arizona, Rodrigues is already reaching the pinnacle of the sport.
“He’s just super competitive,” Harvey said. “He’s not afraid of the moment.”
Rodrigues is in the second of Wednesday’s two flights in the long-jump prelims.
