COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Grant Szalek posted a top-20 finish in the men's triple jump in the only action for the UTSA track & field teams on a weather-shortened Friday at the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
Thunderstorms rolled into at E.B. Cushing Stadium just before the track events were scheduled to get underway at 5:30 p.m. After multiple lightning delays, officials made the decision at approximately 8:30 p.m. to postpone all uncontested events to Saturday, meaning Bashiru Abdullahi will have to wait another day to keep his season alive in the men's 110-meter hurdles quarterfinal round.
Prior to the weather delay, Szalek finished 20th in the triple jump in his first NCAA postseason appearance, as the Perth, Australia, native skipped to a mark of 15.67 meters (51-5). The C-USA Indoor champion opened with a 14.90m (48-10.75) measurement before posting his top jump of the day on his second trip down the runway. The No. 2 performer in program history finished one centimeter ahead of Iowa's James Carter and just one centimeter behind USC's Darryl Shaw in logging his top wind-legal mark of the season.
The meet will wrap up on Saturday and Abdullahi has his sights set on a top-12 finish in the 110m hurdles. The Benin City, Nigeria, native advanced to the quarterfinals, which originally were slated for 6:45 p.m. Friday, after clocking a time of 13.84 on Wednesday that pushed him through to the next round.
The UTSA women are scheduled for three events on Saturday. School record-holder Lacee Barnes will make her NCAA postseason debut in the discus, while Danielle Spence will begin pursuit of her second All-America certificate in the triple jump. On the track, the duo of Faith Roberson and Alanah Yukich will line up in the quarterfinal round of the 400m hurdles.
The West Preliminary is one of two Preliminary Round meets being held this week, as the East Preliminary is being hosted by North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. The top 12 competitors from each individual event and 12 teams from each relay event advance from each Preliminary Round site to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
UTSA Results
Friday, May 28
Triple Jump
20. Grant Szalek 15.67m/51-5 (+2.2)
Thursday, May 27
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles (First Round)
11. Faith Roberson 58.63Q
13. Alanah Yukich 58.78Q
Women's Long Jump
20. Ingeborg Gruenwald 6.28m/20-7.25 (+2.8)
24. Oreoluwa Adamson 6.19m/20-3.75 (+1.4)
Women's Shot Put
11. Maia Campbell 16.74m/54-11.25
Wednesday, May 26
Men's 110-Meter Hurdles (First Round)
19. Bashiru Abdullahi 13.84q
Men's 400-Meter Hurdles (First Round)
32. Andrew Pirog 51.47
Men's Long Jump
16. Sam Healy 7.59m/24-11 (+4.0)
29. Christie Le Roux 7.33m/24-0.75 (+1.6)
-UTSA-
