SACRAMENTO, Calif. – UTEP’s Jakub Belik (high jump) and Victor Kibiego (3000-meter steeplechase) both advanced to nationals on day three at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field West Prelims in Sacramento, Calif., hosted by the Sacramento State in Hornets Stadium on Friday evening.
Belik cleared 2.14 meters (7-0.25) in the men’s high jump as the sophomore will compete in his first national championship. Belik if the first UTEP male high jumper to reach nationals since 2008 when Mickael Hanany won the national championship.
Kibiego raced out to a personal-best 8:26.80 in the men’s 3000m steeplechase quarterfinal. Kibiego’s new time ranks fourth on the program’s top-10 list. The freshman distance runner is the first UTEP men’s steeplechase competitor to advance to nationals since 2015 when Anthony Rotich captured the national title – the back end of a three-peat. Kibiego’s previous best time was 8:41.90.
Belik and Kibiego join throwers Arianne Morais and Roosa Yloenen in Austin. The javelin pair advanced on Thursday.
LOOKING AHEAD TO SATURDAY
Marissa Simpson will compete in the women’s 100-meter hurdles quarterfinals on Saturday evening at 7:15 p.m. MT/6:15 PT. She placed second with a personal-best 13.08 in heat 2 and finished eighth overall on Thursday night.
Loubna Benhadja will take the track in the 400-meter hurdles quarterfinals on Saturday at 8:25 p.m. MT. Benhadja clocked in a 59.05 and finished 19th overall on Thursday.
The women’s relay teams will compete on Saturday night in quarterfinal action. The 4×100-meter relay team (Zani Meaders, Niesha Burgher, Denae McFarlane, Oghenekaro Brume) will race at 6 p.m. MT/5 PT, while the 4×400-meter relay squad (Meaders, Benhadja, Brume, Burgher) will compete at 9:45 p.m. MT.
LIVE RESULTS:https://flashresults.ncaa.com/Outdoor/2023/FirstRounds/West/index.htm
SATURDAY’S EVENTS (WATCH)
5 pm PT/6 pm MT – W4x100 Quarterfinal
6:15 pm/7:15 pm – 100m H Quarterfinal – Simpson
7:25 pm/8:25 pm – 400 H Quarterfinal – Benhadja
8:45 pm/9:45 pm – 4×400 Quarterfinal
TICKETS PUNCHED – AUSTIN, TEXAS
Jakub Belik – High Jump
Victor Kibiego – 3000m steeplechase
Arianne Morais – Javelin
Roosa Yloenen – Javelin
REMAINING 2023 UTEP OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE
May 24-27 NCAA OTF Championships 1st Rd. Sacramento, Calif.
June 7-10 NCAA OTF Championships Austin, Texas
