MEDFORD, Mass.– Eastern University Track and Field sent three individuals to compete in a final qualifier hosted by Tufts University.
Ni'Male Greenwood had posted a 6.83 second run and came into the event in a tie for18th in the 60 Meter dash. As he did not improve on last week's effort in either the prelims or finals today, he is right on the bubble at 20th in the event. The top-20 finishers qualify for the NCAA Championships in Rochester. In the event of a tie, a runner's second-best time is used as a tie-breaker. Greenwood ran a 6.85 in the prelims at the MAC Championships. His 6.87 in the finals is his third best of the year.
Moments after Greenwood finished his run,
Hailey Shreffler toed the line for a chance to qualify in the 800 Meter Run. In a very competitive field, Shreffler ran the fastest indoor 800 Meter time in program history at 2:14.02. That time moves her time 28th nationally. While there will likely be individual qualifiers who will opt to run other events, it is unlikely that she will reach the Championships.
Coming in, her fastest time this year, 2:15.21, was on the banked track at Penn. The 2:18.86 she ran last weekend at the MAC Championships last week was the fastest flat-track indoor effort in program history. The next fastest time was a 2:19.12 from Kierra Zack in 2019.
The program-record has Shreffler in good space to attack the outdoor season. Shreffler is first or second in the Eastern record books at 800 meters, in the Mile, in the 3000 Meters and the 5,000 Meter Run.
Last weekend
Savana Dodd set the program record in the Weight Throw. The sophomore standout reached finals but did not improve on her big throw from last weekend.
Greenwood will wait while qualifiers across the country finish. After all races are done runners declare for events for the championships. Unlike distance races where sometimes athletes make choices, most healthy runners who qualify in the 60 Meters declare. If he is one of the top 20 runners to declare for the championship, he will race in Rochester at the Championship meet on the campus of Nazareth College.
