Credit to Matthew McGinnis | Student Assistant, Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sam Hankins and Zach Davis qualified for the National Championship meet, while the Texas A&M men’s track & field team advanced 10 athletes to the quarterfinals after day one of the NCAA West First Round hosted by Sacramento State University at Hornet Stadium on Wednesday.
Sam Hankins started the day strong for the Aggie men, tossing 234-2/71.39m to qualify with the fifth-best javelin mark at the meet. The toss equals Hankins’ second-best ever, as he advances to his second NCAA National Championship meet of his two years of collegiate competition for the Aggies.
Zach Davis was the last Aggie athlete to compete on Day One, clearing 17-4.5/5.30m to tie for 11th place in the pole vault and secure his spot to the national championship meet. Davis entered the competition at 17-0.75/5.20m, clearing on his first attempt, before going over 17-4.5/5.30m on his second try. He attempted 17-8.5/5.40m, his outdoor personal best, but failed to clear the height. Jack Mann III placed 19th at 17-0.75/5.20m, while Connor Gregston cleared 16-6.75/5.05m for 22nd overall.
In the 110m hurdles, Connor Schulman clocked 13.73 (w/-0.6) to finish fourth in his heat with the top non-automatic qualifying time, advancing to Friday’s quarterfinal. Schulman’s mark is the 10th-fastest time in field going into Friday.
Cooper Cawthra and Chandon Chhikara both qualified for Friday’s 1500m quarterfinal. Cawthra clocked a personal best 3:43.11 to earn the final non-automatic time qualifying mark of the day, finishing ninth in his heat. His time is the 14th-fastest mark going into Friday and makes him the No. 2 performer in Texas A&M history, passing Chhikara’s time of 3:43.41 from the SEC meet. Chhikara registered 3:50.15 to claim second-place in his heat and advance to Friday’s quarterfinal. His heat came through the 700-meter mark in a pedestrian 1:57.54, before Chhikara turned on the jets to blaze through the final 800 meters in 1:52.63, just over half a second over his official personal best of 1:52.11 from the TTU Red Raider Open in January.
In the 100m, DeVante Mount and Ryan Martin both advanced to Friday’s quarterfinal. Mount clocked a personal best 10.30, taking two-hundredths of a second off his previous best, to place second in his heat and lock a spot in the quarterfinal with the sixth best time of the day. Martin registered 10.30 (w/-0.2) to claim second place in his heat, securing his spot in the quarterfinal with the eighth fastest time of the day.
Running the quarter mile, Auhmad Robinson (45.95) and Ashton Schwartzman (46.24) acquired time qualifying spots in the quarterfinal. Robinson placed fifth in his heat with the 10th-fastest time of the day, while Schwartzman was fourth in his heat with the 23rd-best time.
Sam Whitmarsh, running the 800m, led the whole way before taking a back seat on the home stretch, comfortably securing an automatic qualifying spot into the quarterfinal. Whitmarsh’s time of 1:47.27 is the No. 2 time of the day, and his second-fastest mark this season, behind his SEC runner-up time of 1:46.77. Caden Norris finished in 1:49.33, just one-hundredth of a second away from the last time qualifier, for 19th overall.
James Smith II and Bryce McCray qualified for Friday’s quarter-final in the 400m hurdles. Smith registered the No. 2 time of the day at 49.94, his third-fastest of the year, while McCray clocked 50.48, his second-best this season, to move on.
The meet will continue into Thursday with the first day of women’s competition. The Aggies will be led off at 3:30 p.m. CT in the javelin, while the track events begin at 8:00 p.m. CT with the 100m hurdles.
Fans can follow the meet through the live results provided by Flash Results. The meet will also be streamed on ESPN+.
Aggies Competing at West Round One
*All times listed are Central*
Thursday, May 25 – Women Day One
3:30 p.m. – Javelin (First Round) – Lianna Davidson, Katelyn Fairchild
8:00 p.m. – Long Jump (First Round) – G’Auna Edwards, Joniar Thomas
8:00 p.m. – 100m Hurdles (First Round) – Jaiya Covington
8:30 p.m. – Pole Vault (First Round) – Heather Abadie
9:00 p.m. – 100m (First Round) – Camryn Dickson, Semira Killebrew
9:25 p.m. – 400m (First Round) – Jermaisha Arnold, Jania Martin, Tierra Robinson-Jones, Kennedy Wade
9:50 p.m. – 800m (First Round) – Sanu Jallow
10:45 p.m. – 200m (First Round) – Camryn Dickson
Friday, May 26 – Men Day Two
4:30 p.m. – High Jump (First Round) – Carter Bajoit
7:00 p.m. – 4x100m (Quarter-Final) – DeVante Mount, Ryan Martin, Isaiah Teer, Jordan Chopane
7:15 p.m. – 1500m (Quarter-Final) – Cooper Cawthra, Chandon Chhikara
7:40 p.m. – 3000m Steeplechase (Semi-Final) – Teddy Radtke
8:15 p.m. – 110m Hurdles (Quarter-Final) – Connor Schulman
8:35 p.m. – 100m (Quarter-Final) – Ryan Martin, DeVante Mount
8:50 p.m. – 400m (Quarter-Final) – Auhmad Robinson, Ashton Schwartzman
9:05 p.m. – 800m (Quarter-Final) – Sam Whitmarsh
9:25 p.m. – 400m Hurdles (Quarter-Final) – Bryce McCray, James Smith II
10:10 p.m. – 5000m (Semi-Final) – Eric Casarez
10:45 p.m. – 4x400m (Quarter-Final) – DeMarco Escobar, Omajuwa Etiwe, Eric Hemphill III, Auhmad Robinson, Ashton Schwartzman
Saturday, May 27 – Women Day Two
4:30 p.m. – High Jump (First Round) – Allyson Andress, Lamara Distin
7:00 p.m. – 4x100m (Quarter-Final) – Jania Martin, Camryn Dickson, Leeah Burr, Semira Killebrew
7:40 p.m. – 3000m Steeplechase (Semi-Final) – Julia Abell
8:15 p.m. – 100m Hurdles (Quarter-Final) – (Jaiya Covington)
8:35 p.m. – 100m (Quarter-Final) – (Camryn Dickson, Semira Killebrew)
8:50 p.m. – 400m (Quarter-Final) – (Jermaisha Arnold, Jania Martin, Tierra Robinson-Jones, Kennedy Wade)
9:05 p.m. – 800m (Quarter-Final) – (Sanu Jallow)
9:50 p.m. – 200m (Quarter-Final) – (Camryn Dickson)
10:45 p.m. – 4x400m (Quarter-Final) – Jermaisha Arnold, Jania Martin, Tierra Robinson-Jones, Kennedy Wade, Sanu Jallow