Liberty University
NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round
Kurgat Qualifies for Eugene in Women's 5K
5/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Liberty's final athlete to compete at the 2016 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet, sophomore Ednah Kurgat successfully advanced to Eugene in the women's 5K. She earned her first NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships qualification thanks to a runner-up finish in her heat on a windy Saturday at North Florida's Hodges Stadium.
Kurgat's time of 16:12.71 put her just behind heat winner Regan Rome of William & Mary, who crossed the finish line in 16:12.41. Most importantly, it made the Eldoret, Kenya native one of five automatic qualifiers to Eugene from her heat. Kurgat's time was the seventh fastest among the two sections combined.
Kurgat did not lead at all during the race, but stayed inside the top five throughout her third race of the 2016 outdoor season. She clocked 1,000-meter splits of 3:17, 3:17, 3:16, 3:19 and 3:03. At the bell, six runners were battling for the five qualifying positions. Kurgat was able to punch her ticket to Oregon, thanks to a 69.72-second final lap, becoming the Lady Flames' first 5K runner ever to reach the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Kurgat joins Heather Sagan (2001-02) as the only Lady Flames to advance to the NCAA Division I national championship meets in women's cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field during the same athletic year. Kurgat will try to become the first Lady Flame ever to earn All-America honors in all three sports in the same year, after placing 12th in cross country and ninth in the indoor 5K final.
Kurgat's 5K at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be contested at 8:25 p.m. Eastern on June 11 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The race will be televised live on ESPN.
Earlier in the day, redshirt senior Mychelle Cumings' opening throw in the women's shot put reached a season-best 50-8. That effort placed her 21st in the event for the second consecutive year and markedly above her No. 42 seed.
Cumings closes out her stellar career as the only female athlete in Big South history to win the same event (shot put) four times at both the indoor conference meet and outdoor conference meet. She finishes as a 10-time Big South champion and 12-time All-Big South performer overall. Cumings also won a pair of ECAC titles and was a 2013 NCAA Division I national qualifier in the women's discus.
Sophomore Darrel Jones performed well in his NCAA Preliminary Round debut, taking advantage of the gusty tailwinds on the triple jump runway. His third and final attempt measured 51-0.75, adding 2.75 inches to the sophomore's previous personal best. Jones ended up 22nd in the men's triple jump competition, improving upon his No. 32 seed entering the meet.
Jones' day nearly turned out even better. His second jump was measured at 51-10, but was ruled a foul. After a video review, it was confirmed that Jones had indeed fouled "by a toenail," in the official's words. If Jones had not stepped over the board, that 51-10 mark would have been good for 13th place, just one-half inch shy of the 12th and final qualifier to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Also competing in the men's triple jump on Saturday was junior Aklesso Agama. The Florida native jumped 48-8.75 for 42nd place.
