Locals qualify for NCAA track nationals

AUSTIN, Texas — Gonzaga senior Troy Fraley continued his dominance of the steeplechase, finishing the 3,000-meter race with the fastest time at the NCAA West Regional this weekend on the campus of the University of Texas to advance to the national championships on June 7-10 in Eugene, Oregon.

Fraley, a 2013 Glacier grad, finished in 8 minutes, 44.99 seconds on Friday, leading the race from start to finish. He broke away in the final two laps and finished with a strong kick to hold off Oklahoma’s Dylan Blankenbaker. Fraley holds the fastest time in the NCAA this season, 8:39.30 set on May 5.

Fraley becomes the first-ever Zag to win at the NCAA regionals and is the first-ever men’s qualifier for the national championships in program history, and the second qualifier overall.

Colorado junior Zach Perrin (Flathead ’13) finished second in his heat of the 5,000 meters on Saturday to advance to nationals in the event. Perrin, the Pac-12 conference champion in the event, camped in the middle of his heat’s pack before exploding into his kick in the last 200 meters to overtake all but one runner. His time of 14:33.84 was 11th overall.

His younger brother, Jake, the first Gonzaga freshman to qualify for regionals, finished 19th in 15:24.27 running in the same heat, good for 39th overall.

Colorado freshman Makena Morley (Bigfork ’15) qualified for nationals in the 10,000 meters on Thursday, finishing 12th in 35:01.40 to sneak in as the final qualifier. Morley also competed in the 5,000 on Saturday, finishing ninth in her heat and 16th overall, missing qualifying by six seconds.

Air Force senior Taylor Hulslander (Glacier ’13) missed out on advancing in the javelin on Thursday, finishing with a best throw of 65.32 meters (214 feet, 4 inches), falling two feet short of qualifying.

Montana senior Daniel Jones (Columbia Falls ’12), the Big Sky javelin champ, failed to qualify a throw at the meet.

Washington State junior Marlow Schulz (Whitefish ’14) finished fifth in her heat of the 800 prelims, the fastest heat on Thursday, in 2:10.00. She finished 24th overall, less than a second short of advancing to quarterfinals on Friday, the last at-large spot finishing in 2:09.26.

Montana junior Emily Cheroske (Bigfork ’14) finished 39th overall in 2:13.25.

Matt Quist (Flathead ’14) cleared 2.10 meters (6-10 3/4) in the high jump with ease on Saturday, missing just once on the first three heights. He missed on three opportunities at 2.15 (7-0 1/2), the eventual qualifying height for nationals, knocking his first attempt off with his heels and having another bar bobble off its standards.

Running at the NCAA Division II national championships in Bradenton, Florida, Colorado State-Pueblo junior Derrick Williams (Columbia Falls ’12) had two All-American finishes for the ThunderWolves.

Williams finished sixth in the 5,000 meters on Saturday in 14:17.14, and finished fifth overall in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 8:55.69.