McNeill Added to Bowerman Watch List; Three Lumberjacks Head to Notre Dame
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – David
McNeill’s stellar senior campaign continues to progress as
the Northern Arizona runner learned Wednesday from the U.S. Track
& Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) that
he was added to the second update of the official watch list for
The Bowerman as selected by The Bowerman Men’s Watch
Committee.
The Bowerman is awarded each year to the top male collegiate
athlete and to the top female collegiate athlete in the sport of
NCAA track & field.
The committee will release its next update, following the NCAA
Indoor Championships, on Wednesday, March 17. The three men and
three women finalists will be named on July 13.
The Australian native currently holds the nation’s top times
in the 3,000 and 5,000-meter runs, and will compete for a national
championship in Fayetteville, Ark., at the NCAA Indoor
Championships March 12-13.
The indoor season may be over for some athletes, but three more
members of the Northern Arizona track and field team hope to join
McNeill in Fayetteville. In order to meet their goal, juniors Ben
Ashkettle, Jordan Chipangama and sophomore Ahmed Osman will have to
improve their times at the Alex Wilson Invitational on the campus
of Notre Dame this Saturday.
All three Lumberjacks heading to South Bend, Ind., have recorded
NCAA provisional marks. The top 16 athletes have qualified for the
national championships in their respective track events in
year’s past.
“We wanted to give Jordan, Ben and Ahmed a chance to make it
to the indoor championships after they showed the ability to
collect top times at the Husky Classic,” Interim Director of
Track and Field Eric Heins said. “In Seattle I think the
travel affected how they ran since they raced the same day that
they arrived. This weekend will allow them to race after being well
rested.”
Chipangama is currently ranked 28th in the mile after recording a
time of 4:01.75 at the Husky Classic last month. The NCAA automatic
qualifying mark is 3:59.00 for the event. If the Zambia native
records a time under four minutes, he will own the school record
that is currently held by Lopez Lomong (4:00.36).
The 5,000-meter run will feature both Ashkettle and Osman. The duo
collected their NCAA provisional marks at the Husky Classic as well
with Osman (14:04.11) currently ranked 31st and Ashkettle
(14:07.33) at No. 40 in the event. Only four athletes, including
McNeill, have attained the automatic qualifying time of 13:47.00
this season.
Last week in Bozeman, Mont., the trio combined for 51 points in
five events, helping the men’s team claim its second-straight
Big Sky Indoor Championship.
