COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Charles Hicks became Stanford's first male to qualify for nationals by placing ninth in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA West Prelims on Wednesday night at Texas A&M's E.B. Cushing Stadium.
Hicks ran 29:13.34 and by finish among the top 12, advanced to the NCAA Championships June 9-12 in Eugene, Oregon. Hicks was the lone Cardinal among six competitors on the first day of the four-day meet. Alek Parsons was close, placing 14th in the same race, in 29:26.99. Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau was 33rd in 30:31.62.
This will be the first NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships for Hicks, a freshman in eligibility. He joins Allie Jones, who already qualified in the heptathlon, was Cardinal qualifiers so far.
In the 200, Gabriel Navarro ran a season best 21.07, just off his personal best of 21.04, to place 32nd overall. Navarro was fifth in his heat, with only the top three qualifying automatically.
J.T. Herrscher was 30th in the pole vault at 16-10 ¾ (5.15m). Herrscher was perfect through his first three jumps, but went out at 17-2 ¾ (5.25m), a height that may have ensured a spot in Eugene.
Miles Smith, a graduate transfer from Maryland-Baltimore County, needed to finish among the top three in his heat of the 800 to advance to the next round, but missed despite matching the 1:52.11 time of third-place finisher Travis Hodge of Kansas State, leaving Smith out of luck.
The women will be featured on Thursday, with 13 Cardinal in action, including five in the 1,500.
Gabriel Navarro. Photo by Chuck Aragon.
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NCAA West Prelims
Stanford results
Men
200 – 32, Gabriel Navarro 21.07.
800 – 36, Miles Smith 1:52.11.
10,000 – 9, Charles Hicks 29:13.34 (qualifies for NCAA Championships); 14, Alek Parsons 29:26.99; 33, Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau 30:31.62.
Pole vault – 30, J.T. Herrscher 16-10 ¾ (5.15m).
Stanford's Thursday Schedule (all times Pacific)
11:30 a.m.: Women's javelin first round -- Virginia Miller, Brielle Smith.
1 p.m.: Women's pole vault first round – Erika Malaspina.
4 p.m.: Women's 100 hurdles first round – Allie Jones.
4:30 p.m.: Women's 1,500 first round – Christina Aragon, Ella Donaghu, Julia Heymach, Lucy Jenks, Jessica Lawson.
5 p.m.: Women's 100 first round – Alexa Rossum.
5:50 p.m.: Women's 800 first round – Ellie Deligianni, Kaitlin Ryan.
6:45 p.m.: Women's 200 first round – Alexa Rossum.
7:10 p.m.: Women's 10,000 semifinal – Grace Connolly.