COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Led by top-20 finishes from Bashiru Abdullahi and Alanah Yukich, the UTSA track & field teams wrapped up action at the NCAA West Preliminary Round on Saturday at E.B. Cushing Stadium.
Yukich finished 14th in the quarterfinal round of the women's 400-meter hurdles and Abdullahi turned in a 16th-place showing in the men's 110-meter hurdles quarterfinals on the final day of the four-day meet.
Running in lane seven in the second of three quarterfinal races, Yukich ended up in fifth after crossing in 58.42 seconds, two spots outside the top three automatic qualifiers. The Conference USA silver medalist, who won her first-round heat in a time of 58.78, got out to a strong start and was in position to vie for a top-three finish but had to nearly avoid stepping over UCLA's Shae Anderson, who tripped in lane six on the final curve. USC's Breanna Bernard-Joseph won the race in 57.44, while Texas Tech's Lexye Price just nipped Yukich at the line in 58.37 for fourth.
After thunderstorms forced the postponement of Friday's track events, Abdullahi finally got to take to the track for the quarterfinal round of the 110m hurdles. Running in lane two of the opening race, the Benin City, Nigeria native sped to a time of 13.87 for fifth place in his heat and 16th overall, just shy of the top 12 qualifying spots for Eugene.
Meanwhile, Faith Roberson, the C-USA champion and school record-holder, finished 23rd in the 400m hurdles after posting a time of 1:01.39.
In the field, Lacee Barnes turned in a throw of 50.02 meters (164-1) for 28th place in the discus. After opening with a mark of 44.89m (147-3), the school and Cayman Islands record-holder unleashed her top throw of the afternoon for a top-30 finish in her NCAA postseason debut.
In other action for the women, All-American and school record-holder Danielle Spence placed 37th in the triple jump. The seven-time conference medalist skipped to her top mark of 12.21m (40-0.75) on her first trip down the runway.
The 2021 season will continue for a pair of Roadrunners. Maia Campbell, who placed 11th with a mark of 16.74m (54-11.25) in the women's shot put on Thursday, and Jack Turner, who qualified for the men's decathlon with his school-record point total of 7,659 in winning the C-USA crown two weeks ago, will travel to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 9-12 at Hayward Field.
UTSA Results
Saturday, May 28
Men's 110-Meter Hurdles (Quarterfinal Round)
16. Bashiru Abdullahi 13.87 (-0.4)
Women's 400-Meter Hurdles (Quarterfinal Round)
14. Alanah Yukich 58.42
23. Faith Roberson 1:01.39
Women's Triple Jump
37. Danielle Spence 12.21m/40-0.75 (+0.6)
Women's Discus
28. Lacee Barnes 50.02m/164-1
Friday, May 28
Men's 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-
