March 5, 2011
• Complete Results 
MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin men's track and field team already had four first-time qualifiers earn their way into next week's 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Now, the Badgers can add another veteran of the national meet to their lineup.
Senior Zach Beth is headed back to the NCAA indoor championships for the second time after running the second-fastest 800 meters time in Wisconsin history Saturday. Beth laid down a lifetime-best mark of 1 minute, 47.71 seconds to take third in the event at the Iowa State NCAA Qualifier.
The time earns Beth an automatic berth to the national meet, which begins Friday in College Station, Texas. It will be familiar territory for Beth, who competed inside Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships.
His time ranks 10th-fastest in the nation this season and trails only sophomore teammate Zachary Mellon's year-old school record of 1:47.45 on the Badgers' all-time list in the 800.
Mellon, who qualified for the national meet as a freshman last season, will race with Beth next week in the 800 meters. He owns the 11th-fastest time in the nation this season at 1:47.87.
Beth's entry into the NCAA meet gives the Badgers a contingent of six athletes that will head to College Station. Sophomore Reed Connor - a native of nearby The Woodlands, Texas - raced his way into the championships with an automatic qualifying run in the 3,000 meters Friday in Madison.
Beth, Mellon and Connor will be accompanied by sophomore Maverick Darling (3,000 meters and 5,000 meters), sophomore Mohammed Ahmed (5,000 meters) and redshirt freshman Japheth Cato (heptathlon).
The Badgers could potentially add four more qualifiers to their stable, as well.
UW's entry in the 4x400-meter relay raced to a season-best time of 3:08.59 at Iowa State on Saturday, matching the second-fastest mark in school history.
The foursome of Drew Simmons, Gavin Robertson, Grant Bughman and Kyle Jefferson clocked the fastest time by a Wisconsin quartet since 1993. Still, the Badgers must wait until Monday's announcement of the championships field to learn whether or not they have earned an at-large bid.
UW's mark currently ranks No. 15 nationally, but only 11 relay teams were selected for the national meet in the 4x400 last season.
Also Saturday, senior Luke Rucks - an NCAA qualifier outdoors last season in the 800 meters - raced to a time of 4:05.76 in the mile. He clocked the fastest collegiate time in the field at Iowa State but fell short of achieving an NCAA automatic qualifying performance.
The 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships run Friday and Saturday in College Station, with portions of the meet airing live on ESPN3.com.
