JACKSONVILLE, FLA. -- Furman's Ryan Adams punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships Friday with a fourth-place in the 1,500m at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships East Preliminaries, which are being hosted by the University of North Florida and the Jacksonville Sports Council in Jacksonville, Fla.
A senior from Hudson, Ohio, Adams posted a time of 3:38.36 to take fourth in his heat and fourth overall, advancing automatically to the semifinals, which will be held on Wednesday, June 9, at 8:16 p.m. ET in Eugene, Oregon. The finals of the events are slated for Friday, June 11, at 8:11 p.m. ET.
Adams, who made his third NCAA East Preliminaries appearance in the event, finished third in his heat Wednesday to advance automatically to the quarterfinals, posting a time of 3:43.32 to finish in fourth place overall. As a junior in 2019, he earned All-American accolades after placing 16th at the NCAA Championships. He entered the preliminaries ranked fifth in the 1,500m after posting a program record of 3:37.66 at the Oregon Twilight Meet.
Also on Friday, junior Cameron Ponder, a native of Winston-Salem, N.C., and freshman Carson Williams, who hails from Raleigh, N.C., competed in the semifinals of the 3,000m Steeplechase. Ponder finished in 27th place with a time of 9:08.98, while Williams was 37th at 9:18.06. The Paladin duo each recorded 3,000m Steeplechase qualifying times at the Lee University Last Chance meet. Ponder entered the meet ranked 17th with a time of 8:44.63, while Williams enters in 22nd place with a time of 8:46.78.
Senior Jake Ogden, a native of Dana Point, Calif., placed 44th in the 5,000m after crossing the line in 14:42.04 in Friday's semifinals. He entered the meet ranked 46th with a time of 13:57.50, which he posted at the EKU Rick Erdmann Twilight Meet in April. He made his third appearance at the NCAA East Preliminaries, after competing in the 1,500m at the meet in both 2018 and 2019.
The women's 3,000m Steeplechase semifinals are scheduled for Saturday at 6:10 p.m. with the women's 800m quarterfinals to follow at 7:35 p.m. The women's 5,000m is slated for Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
Senior Gabbi Jennings, a native of Slidell, La., has reached the NCAA East Preliminaries in the 3,000m Steeplechase for the third-straight outdoor season. She earned All-American honors with a ninth-place finish in the event at the 2019 championship meet. Her personal-best time of 9:43.48, a new program record and Olympic trials qualifying time, which she posted at the Drake Relays, ranks third in the East, Jennings also posted qualifying times in the 800m, 1,500m, and 5,000m, but will focus her efforts on the Steeplechase.
Freshman Megan Marvin, a native of Chapel Hill, N.C., qualified automatically for the women's 800m quarterfinals by finishing third in her heat and 17th overall with a time of 2:05.40. Marvin recorded an 800m qualifying time of 2:04.18 at the SoCon outdoor championships earlier this month and entered the race ranked 13th.
A native of Aldie, Va., freshman Bethany Graham recorded a personal-record time of 15:57.92 to qualify in the 5,000m, knocking over 12 seconds off her previous personal best and becoming just the fifth woman in Furman history and the first Paladin freshman to break the 16:00 mark. She enters the championships ranked 24th in the East.
The top 12 finishers in each event will advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon, June 9-12.
Earlier in the week at the preliminaries, senior Daniel Bernal of El Paso, Texas, posted a time of 29:56.39 to finish 27th in the 10,000m. Bernal entered the meet ranked 34th in the East in the event with a time of 29:17.95, a personal best which he registered at the Raleigh Relays in March. Senior Emma Kuntz of Louisville, Ky., competed in the first round of the women's 800m, placing 29th at 2:06.52. Kuntz, who also competed in the 800m at the 2019 East Preliminaries, entered the meet in 32nd place after qualifying with a time of 2:05.99 at the Tennessee Relays in April.
NCAA East Preliminaries - Furman Schedule/Results
Wednesday, May 26
Men's 1,500m 1st round – Ryan Adams - 4th (3:43.32) - automatic qualifier
Men's 10,000m – Daniel Bernal - 27th (29:56.39)
Thursday, May 27
Women's 800m 1st Round – Megan Marvin - 17th (2:05.40) - automatic qualifier
Women's 800m 1st Round - Emma Kuntz - 29th (2:06.52)
Friday, May 28
Men's 1,500m quarterfinals – Ryan Adams - 4th (3:38.36) - advances to semifinals
Men's 3,000m Steeplechase Semifinals – Cameron Ponder - 27th (9:08.98)
Men's 3,000m Steeplechase Semifinals – Carson Williams - 37th (9:18.06)
Men's 5,000m Semifinals – Jake Ogden - 44th (14:42.04)
Saturday, May 29
6:10 p.m. - Women's 3,000m Steeplechase Semifinals – Gabbi Jennings
7:35 p.m. - Women's 800m Quarterfinals – Megan Marvin
8:30 p.m. - Women's 5,000m Semifinals – Bethany Graham
