University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
NCAA East Preliminary Round Day 3
Ilse & Shippee Are Final Tar Heels To Punch Tickets To Eugene
May 26, 2018 | Track & Field
TAMPA, Fla. – The University of North Carolina track and field teams wrapped up competition at the NCAA East Preliminary Round in USF's Track & Field Stadium Friday. As the weekend came to a close, two more Tar Heels punched their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. – freshman Jill Shippee in the women's hammer throw and junior Morgan Ilse in the women's 5,000 meters.
Shippee, UNC's record holder in the women's hammer throw, threw for 204-0 (62.18) on her second attempt in the event to finish fifth and push through to the NCAA Championships in her first season.
"For Jill Shippee, as a true freshman, to come in, earn her stripes and punch her ticket to Eugene is a fantastic accomplishment," head coach Harlis Meaders said. "She has been a consistent competitor all season, and I'm really happy for her to get a chance to go to Eugene and have a chance to become a first-team All-American."
Also in the hammer, redshirt-junior Alex Cooke threw over 190 feet on each of her three attempts, a best of 194-2 (59.19 meters) coming on her final two attempts. She finished 20th after coming in as the 29th seed in her first trip to the NCAA East Prelims.
Then, in the final race of the weekend, Ilse ran 16:23.20 in the women's 5,000 meters and qualified on time for the NCAA Championships, taking the 12th-and-final spot from the NCAA East Prelims."
"If we could have written the ending that we wanted, this would have been it," distance coach Mark VanAlstyne said. "Knowing all that Morgan went through last year and the doubts and the questioning, what a great way for her junior year to end. She is always smiling, always happy, never balks at anything the coaching staff asks her to do, she is a team-first person. It is great to see her take this next step, and I can't wait to see what she does in Eugene."
Shippee and Ilse will join senior Caroline Alcorta (women's 10,000 meters), freshman Anna Keefer (women's long jump) and senior Kenny Selmon (men's 400-meter hurdles) to make up the contingent representing Carolina in Eugene, Ore. at the NCAA Championships.
OTHER SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS
Men
• Redshirt-freshman Alex Milligan finished 10th in the first quarterfinal of the 1,500 meters, but also 10th overall after running 3:45.55 – less than a second off of his personal best. The second quarterfinal was slowed down due to rain, but Milligan came into the event seeded 29th and was the last one into the quarterfinals on time.
• Redshirt-sophomore Draven Crist battled through driving rain to finish tied for 21st in the high jump after coming in as the 42nd seed. He jumped 6-9 (2.06 meters.).
• Junior Zay Paschall finished 29th in the triple jump after entering Saturday's competition as the 36th seed. His best jump of the day was 49-1 ½ (14.97 meters).
• Sophomore Daniel McArthur finished 24th in the men's shot put, throwing for 59-6 ¾ (18.15 meters).
Women
• Sophomore Brianna Duncan finished 16th in the quarterfinals of the 200 meters, running 23.38. That gives Duncan two top-20 finishes in the short sprints in her first trip to the NCAA prelims after taking 19th in the 100 meters on Friday.
• The 4x100 of Brianna Duncan, Katlin Sherman, Anna Keefer and Peighton Simmons finished 16th in the quarterfinals, running 44.84.
• The 4x400 of Jewel Christian, McKinley McNeill, Natisha Dixon and Blake Dodge finished 15th in the quarterfinals, running 3:37.46.
"When I look at the year and I see the number of individual successes we've had and the number of school records that have fallen, I really believe that we are on the cusp of doing something great," Meaders said. "We have been working on this project for six years now, but this year we have been consistent with kids performing at the elite level and we really feel like we are on the cusp of doing something special here at Carolina."
UP NEXT: Five Tar Heels – Caroline Alcorta (women's 10,000 meters), Morgan Ilse (5,000 meters), Anna Keefer (women's long jump), Kenny Selmon (men's 400-meter hurdles) and Jill Shippee (women's hammer throw) – will compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. from June 6-9.
Players Mentioned
