Steeplechasers At Oregon Twilight Trying For NCAA Qualifier
5/3/2013 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University's 3000 meter steeplechase school-record holders will be in action Friday at the University of Oregon Twilight meet in Eugene.
Lauren Bergam, the women's record holder at 10:47.47, and Nick Roche the men's record holder in 9:06.14, will try to lower their times in hopes of achieving a NCAA West Preliminary berth. Patrick Richie, with a 9:12.76, will also try to run a PR in hopes of getting into the NCAA West Preliminary.
The women's steeplechase will start at 6:20 p.m. and the men's race will start at 6:33 p.m. Pacific Time.
Bergam set her record earlier this year at the Oregon Relays on the same track she will be running on Friday. Richie also set his PR at the Oregon Relays earlier this year. Roche's record came at the Stanford Invitational.
The top 48 times qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary, and Roche and Bergam would each have to drop about 10 seconds off their times to get in the hunt. The women's cutoff at 48 heading into the weekend is 10:27.13 while the men's is 8:57.40.
"The goal for the men is 8:59, while we're hoping Laruen can be at 10:35," Gonzaga head coach Pat Tyson said.
They have one more chance to qualify next weekend at the West Coast Invitational in Salem, Ore.
"The men will run next week," Tyson said of his steeplechasers.
"We'll see how things go Friday before making a decision," assistant coach Patty Ley said of Bergam's participation in the event next weekend.
The steeplechasers are the only ones competing this weekend as the Bulldogs take a weekend off entering final exams on the Gonzaga campus and looking ahead to next weekend's West Coast Invitational.
