JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Furman senior Abigail Robertson placed 45th in the 1,500m Thursday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships East Preliminaries, which are being hosted by North Florida this week at Visit Jax Track in Jacksonville, Fla.
A native of Marietta, Ga., Robertson posted a time of 4:29.62 at the meet. Robertson entered the meet ranked 42nd after winning the 1,500m with a personal-best time of 4:19.18 at the SoCon Outdoor Championships. She finished second in the 5,000m at this year's outdoor league championships and is the reigning SoCon indoor champion in both the 3,000m and 5,000m.
The semifinals of the men's 3,000m Steeplechase are scheduled for Friday at 5:40 p.m. Junior Carson Williams will run in the 3,000m Steeplechase for the third-consecutive year, while senior Cameron Ponder is making his second appearance in the event.
Williams, a native of Raleigh, N.C., posted a season-best time of 8:43.56 in the 3,000m at the EKU Rick Erdmann Twilight to qualify in 13th place for the Steeplechase. He finished fourth in the event at last year's NCAA East Preliminaries and went on to earn an All-America citation with a 16th-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Championships. The reigning SoCon Champion in the event, he holds a personal-best time of 8:37.65, which he recorded at the 2022 Lee University Last Chance meet.
Ponder, who hails from Winston-Salem, N.C., finished second with a time of 8:49.54 in the Steeplechase at the SoCon Outdoor Championships. He enters the meet ranked 23rd in the event. Ponder also competed in the Steeplechase at the 2021 NCAA East Preliminaries after qualifying with a personal-best time of 8:44.63.
On Wednesday, senior Adam Beucler finished 26th in the 10,000m. A native of Hudson, Ohio, Beucler posted a time of 30:03.61 in the race to eclipse his entering rank of 34th by eight spots. He qualified for the meet after recording a personal-best time of 29:05.27 at the Raleigh Relays. Beucler took gold in the 5,000m with a time of 14:36.36 at the SoCon Outdoor Championships and earned All-SoCon citations indoors for the 3,000m and 5,000m.
The top 12 finishers in each event advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Austin, Texas, June 7-10.
NCAA East Preliminaries - Furman Schedule/Results
Wednesday, May 24
Men's 10,000m - Adam Beucler – 26th (30:03.61)
Thursday, May 25
Women's 1,500m 1st Round – Abigail Robertson – 45th (4:29.62)
Friday, May 26
Men's 3,000m Steeplechase Semifinals – 5:40 p.m. – Carson Williams & Cameron Ponder
