2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships
Wednesday, June 6- Saturday, June 9 | Eugene, Ore.
EUGENE, Ore. – The No. 22 Wisconsin women's track and field team will compete this week at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The Badgers have six entries at the national championships with a majority of the team competing on Thursday, while the rest of the team will compete on Friday and Saturday.
ESPN will provide comprehensive coverage of the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships as every track and field event can be seen online via ESPN3. In addition, track events on Wednesday can be seen on ESPNU, Thursday on ESPN2 and Friday and Saturday's championship action can be seen live on ESPN.
1. GEORGIA'S FINALE: Senior
Georgia Ellenwood looks to end her UW career on a high note as the Langley, British Columbia enters the NCAA championships as the top seed in the heptathlon. Ellenwood, who was named the USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region Field Athlete of the Year on Friday, broke the Big Ten Conference record in the heptathlon thanks to her score of 6,173 points at the 2018 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships. That score ranks No. 5 on Canada's all-time list, No. 10 in NCAA history and No. 12 in the world this year. The heptathlon starts at 2:30 p.m. (CT) on Friday with the 100 hurdles.
2. SHE'S BACK: A year ago
Brenna Detra suffered a horrific knee injury in her NCAA championships debut at Hayward Field that required months of rehab. Now the senior returns to the historic track for her final meet as a Badger as she's coming off of a career performance at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships in the 400 hurdles. Detra used a fantastic close to set a PR of 57.42 seconds, which ranks No. 2 in school history, to punch her ticket to the NCAA meet. The Peoria, Illinois native will compete in the 400 hurdles semifinals on Thursday, June 7 at 8 p.m. on ESPN2 and will look to advance to the finals, which are slated to begin at 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, June 9.
3. HISTORY AT HAYWARD: The quartet of
Meagan Blair,
Brenna Detra,
Gabby DesRosiers and
Ebony McClendon will make program history on Thursday as they will be the first UW women's 4x100 relay squad to compete at the NCAA championships. The group has broken the school record three times this year and advanced to the national championships after clocking in at 44.66 at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships. UW is also the only Big Ten Conference school to qualify a women's 4x100 relay squad to this year's national meet. The semifinals of the 4x100 relay will take place on Thursday, June 7 at 6:02 p.m. while the finals will be staged on Saturday, June 9 at 5:32 p.m.
4. TAKING THE FIELD: A pair of Badgers will compete in field events on Thursday in senior
Taylor Amann and
Banke Oginni.
Amann finished tied for eighth at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships after clearing 13-8 1/2. The school record holder in the indoor and outdoor pole vault, Amann will make her second appearance at the NCAA outdoor meet after competing at Hayward Field her sophomore year. She has a season-best jump of 14-3 ½ set at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships en route to winning her third Big Ten Conference title. She will vault on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. CT pm on ESPN3.
Oginni will make her third NCAA championship appearance but her first outdoors as the Hanover Park, Illinois, native competed at the 2017 and 2018 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She is coming off of a career performance in the shot put at the NCAA West Prelims as she launched the shot 56-1 3/4 to finish third in the event. That mark ranks No. 3 in program history as she's one of 14 NCAA athletes to throw more than 56 feet this year. Oginni will throw on Thursday at 8:10 p.m. and the event can be seen live online on ESPN3.
5. MIGHTY MONSON: Sophomore
Alicia Monson will also make her Hayward Field debut this week as the Amery, Wisconsin, native will race on Saturday in the 5000 meters at 7:25 p.m. live on ESPN. The Big Ten runner-up in the outdoor 5000 meters, Monson shined at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships, running a PR of 15:38.32, becoming only the fifth Badger to run sub-15:40 in the 5K. It marks the second-straight year a Badger has raced in the women's 5K at NCAAs as
Sarah Disanza finished seventh in the 5000 meters at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.