University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
NCAA East Preliminary Round
Selmon, Lipsey, Ways Qualify for NCAA Championships
May 28, 2016 | Track & Field
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Carolina track and field teams qualified three individuals to the NCAA Outdoor Championships today at the NCAA East Preliminary. Ceo Ways qualified for the 400m while Kenny Selmon and Javonte Lipsey qualified for the 400-meter hurdles.
“We're excited to see three kids advance to the finals in Eugene,” head coach Harlis Meaders said. The three kids that advanced are veterans and have advanced to the competition before. We still have a few opportunities tomorrow for both the men and the women to advance to Eugene. The meet itself has been exactly what we thought it'd be. It's the east region and it's definitely the toughest regional and the competition has been excellent. We're proud to see our kids advance and move forward.
“We had a few seniors today bring their college careers to an end. That's always bittersweet to see that happen but those kids have served the programs really well since they've been here and they've been tremendous assets athletically and great students. It's been fun to work with them.”
Ways ran 45.88 in the final heat of the men's 400m to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the second consecutive year in the 400m. Ways had the deck stacked against him in an incredibly competitive heat and running in lane eight. But Ways pushed ahead and took second in the heat to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. Ways was the first Tar Heel this year to qualify for the championships.
“It feels good going back for the third year in a row and second as an individual,” said Ways. “I just hope that I can do what needs to be done while I'm there. I knew it was going to be a fast heat. There were five guys in my heat that ran 45 low. I'm happy I was in that heat though because it pushed me to run faster. I hated being in lane eight. I was in lane nine in the preliminary. It's tough running blind but everything worked out.”
Kenny Selmon and Javonte Lipsey each punched their tickets to the NCAA Championships in the 400-meter hurdles. Selmon posted a career best 49.45 and had the second fastest time at the meet. Lipsey ran 50.50, a season best, to earn a spot at the championships through a non-automatic qualifying time. It's the second consecutive year that Selmon qualified for the NCAA Championships and the fourth time for Lipsey in his career.
“I definitely believed that I could do it,” Lipsey said of qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the fourth time in his career. “It's all about consistency and staying healthy and believing in your training and yourself. It's easy to do it once or twice but four times is a feat to accomplish. I think I haven't reached (my peak) yet. I think we're still in a cycle where I'll continue to grow (and peak) by the time the Olympic Trials come. I'm hitting the steps that I need to hit so it's just another stepping stone.”
“This season's been a struggle and a journey,” Selmon said. “I've learned you have to enjoy the journey and wait for the results. It's called delayed gratitude and it's something I've had to learn. I'm happy to go to nationals for a second time, but the time that I ran means way more to me. I've been trying to break 49 all year and I finally did it. To break it like I did break it and assure my spot for the Olympic Trials, I couldn't be happier.”
Nicole Greene just barely missed qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The freshman cleared 5-9 ¼ (1.76 meters) in the high jump to place 13th, a single spot out of qualifying for the championships.
Lizzy Whelan also ended her career today with Carolina. The 800m specialist from Toronto, Ontario, finished the 800m in 2:07.92. Whelan is a 3-time All-America including a sixth-place finish in the 800m at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2015. Whelan owns the indoor school record in the 800m at 2:03.85 and is fourth all-time at UNC in the outdoor 800m at 2:03.76. Whelan was also very successful in cross country earning All-Region honors twice including in 2014 when she helped the women capture the ACC Championship.
“I feel like the person I am today leaving UNC is different from the person I came as,” Whelan said. “It's bittersweet but it's prepared me well for the future. I'm excited to watch the younger girls continue to compete. I've grown a lot as a runner and learned the discipline of a runner. I've grown a lot. It's been a great ride and I'm really pleased.”
AJ Hicks ended his illustrious career at Carolina today with a last attempt in the men's discus to advance to the NCAA Championships. Hicks, from Solon, Ohio, threw 171-9 (52.34 meters) and finished 31st. Hicks career at Carolina is highlighted by two All-America honors and owning a top-five mark in three separate events at UNC. Hicks is third all-time at UNC in the hammer at 218-10, fourth in the weight throw at 71-3 ¼ and fifth in the discus at 181-0. He earned All-America honors in the weight throw including a sixth-place finish in the event at the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships. Hicks is also an ACC Champion in the shot put and a 3-time first team All-ACC honoree.
“The opportunity to compete for this University was a means of personal growth for me,” Hicks said. “I was able to compete at a level that I'm coming to accept as respectable. I had a lot of goals for myself and I didn't quite reach them all, but I can't look back and be disappointed. It's been one of the best blessings of my life.”
Houston Summers finished 29th in the men's javelin ending his career at North Carolina. Summers threw 203-6 (62.02 meters) on his final throw of his career. Summers was an exceptional example of a student-athlete excelling in the classroom and on the field. Summers has earned Academic All-District honors twice and has been a USTFCCCA Academic All-American.
Carolina will finish the third and final day of competition at the NCAA East Preliminary tomorrow. Five individuals and the men's 4x400m will compete for a spot at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
“Tomorrow is just back into the fire,” said Meaders. “We've got the men's and women's 5k, the men's 4x400m relay and Alexis Gannon in the triple jump. We still have a couple opportunities for the men and women. We're going to put our blue suits back on and go to war. It's going to be awesome.”
Players Mentioned
