MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Blue Streaks are heading into this year's NCAA Outdoor Championships treating it like it is another meet on the schedule. This year's championship meet will be a little different than last year. Some new faces will take on the challenge to compete on the highest level amongst the very best in Division III. Similar relays have also earned the opportunity to be back as well as they look to improve upon last year's finishes. After coming off some pretty historical performances and high finishes throughout the season, the Blue Streaks are looking to continue that success as they prepare for the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships which will be held at Doug Shaw Stadium from Thursday May 23 - Saturday, May 25 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The men head into this year's outdoor championships as the 13th best team in the country and are coming off of a third place finish on the podium from last year's championship meet. This past week, they earned a total of 17 Great Lakes All-Region selections, while the women earned a total of nine All-Region selections as announced by the USTFCCCA this past Monday. In total, both the men and women will compete in nine events: two relays, two field events, and five individual events. Day 1: Thursday, May 23, 2024
The first day of the outdoor championships will take place with the men's prelim of the 4x100 meter relay consisting of Garrett Clark, Basheer Alramahi, Dustin Horner, and Jimmy Kartsonas at 5:25 pm (ET). This relay will make their seventh consecutive national championship appearance and are coming off of a third place finish from last year's outdoor championships. They head in as the eighth best relay in the country with a time of 40.60 seconds.
Senior Genevieve Arnold will be up next as she makes another national appearance in the long jump at 5:30 pm (ET). Arnold made her mark at the 2024 OAC Outdoor Championships as she lept to 6.00 meters, which is the second best mark in the country and was crowned the OAC Champion and school record holder in the event. This will be her first outdoor appearance in the long jump for the Blue Streaks since Jen Kahn in 2006.
In her first ever national championship appearance, senior Claire Eberhardt will compete in the 1500 meter run at 5:35 pm (ET). Eberhardt comes in as the 16th best individual in the country with a time of 4:29.99 as she is the first female for JCU to qualify in the 1500 outdoors.
Senior Ethan Domitrovich comes back for his third consecutive appearance in the steeplechase coming in with a time of 8:49.12 as the 12th best performer in D3 history with that time. He will toe the line at 7:35 pm (ET). Domitrovich is the fourth best runner in the event and will look to add another All-American finish to his resume. At last year's outdoor championships, he finished sixth.
The last event of the first day will take place at 8:15 pm (ET) as the men's 4x400 meter relay enters in as the sixth best relay in Division III with a time of 3:11.02. At last year's outdoor championships, they finished fifth, marking this their second consecutive appearance at an outdoor national meet. The relay will consist of Garrett Clark, Dustin Horner, Tyler Gast, and Basheer Alramahi.
Day 2: Friday, May 24, 2024
The second day of the outdoor championships will take place at 4:00 pm (ET) for the Blue Streaks as Luke Frazier will compete in the high jump, coming in tied for the number one mark in Division III at 2.12 meters. This is the first time since Leo Miller in 1986 that a high jumper will represent JCU on the national stage and will be Frazier's fourth meet competing this season.
The men's 400 meter dash prelim will be up next at 5:15 pm (ET) as sophom*ore Basheer Alramahi will make his second consecutive appearance in the event outdoors at 46.50 seconds. Alramahi will look to improve upon last year as he earned a 14th place finish.
Senior Genevieve Arnold will return to the track for her second event of the meet at 5:30 pm (ET) as she will make her first ever championship appearance in the 100 meter dash. She is the 16th best performer coming into the event at 11.93 seconds.
Also in her first ever national championship appearance, junior Ellie Kitsmiller will compete in the 800 meter run at 6:00 pm (ET) as the 22nd best performer in Division III at 2:11.50. This will also be the first time ever a female has qualified in the 800 meter run for JCU.
From now on, the finals will take place. If Domitrovich advances to the steeplechase final, he will run at 7:15 pm (ET).
Day 3: Saturday, May 25, 2024
Final races have come around as the men's 4x100 meter relay will take place at 4:15 pm (ET), followed by the women's 1500 meter final at 4:25 pm (ET). After those two events have surpassed, at 5:20 pm (ET), the men's 400 meter dash final will go off, followed by the women's 800 meter final at 5:50 pm (ET). To round up the national meet, the men's 4x400 meter relay final will take place at 8:00 pm (ET).
Coach Daniel Tutskey had a lot of praise for his team going into this year's outdoor meet as they look to improve upon last year's finishes. "Every year is different," says Tutskey. "The growth and maturity changes throughout the season. When you have athletes here that have been here before, they expect a lot out of themselves to perform the best they can. The growth and development that this group has collected is special."
Following last year's performance, the team will look to rebound off of their finishes and will bring in new athletes to take on the opportunity as well.
"Our expectations haven't changed," mentioned Tutskey. "We go in with an opportunity to compete amongst the very best and have always looked to get better. Our culture and leadership will carry us through, which is very special for a group like this."
Lots of hope, experience, and determination for this group awaits as they take on another national championship meet and will look to represent the Blue Streaks to its full potential in sunny Myrtle Beach. More coverage to come!
