A Wisconsin dozen: 12 Badgers qualify for 2016 NCAA West Preliminary Round
May 19, 2016 | Women's Track & Field
UW heads to Lawrence, Kansas, next weekend for NCAA qualifying competition
MADISON, Wis. -- A dozen Wisconsin women's track and field student-athletes have punched their tickets for the 2016 NCAA West Preliminary Round, the qualifying competition for the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, the NCAA announced Thursday.
The Badgers will compete next Thursday through Saturday at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas, as the University of Kansas hosts the NCAA West Preliminary Round for the first time in school history.
2016 Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year Kelsey Card is the West's No. 1 seed in both the shot put and discus, as Card leads the entire nation in the discus with a season-best effort of 204 feet, 2 inches, which puts the senior No. 10 on the NCAA all-time list.
In addition, Card is the top seed in the shot put, as her season-best mark of 60-10 3/4 ranks second overall in the nation and No. 8 on the NCAA all-time list.
Card, who also had a qualifying mark in the hammer throw but elected not to compete in the event, isn't the only Badger to be ranked in the top 10 in an event as freshman Haley Showalter has the No. 7 seed in the hammer with a school-record mark of 207-3.
Joining Card and Showalter in the throwing events are Kennedy Blahnik, Brianna Bower and Banke Oginni.
Bower will make her third NCAA West Preliminary Round appearance in the javelin as the school record-holder in the event is seeded 30th.
Bahnik and Oginni make their first appearance at the NCAA preliminary round, as Blahnik will compete in the shot put and discus after placing in both events at the Big Ten meet, while Oginni will throw the shot.
Junior Brenna Detra enters as the No. 11 seed in the 400 hurdles after running the program's second-fastest time in the event of 57.56 seconds at last week's Big Ten championships.
Multi-event standout Georgia Ellenwood, who will compete at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon, will take part in the high jump and long jump at the NCAA West Preliminary Round. She is the No. 11 seed in the high jump with a season-best clearance of 5-10 3/4, while her long jump mark of 20-3 3/4 ranks 14th in the region.
Freshman Emma Haugen will make her NCAA West Preliminary Round debut in the high jump, as she enters the meet ranked tied for the 21st seed with a jump of 5-9 1/4.
After a fourth-place finish in the pole vault at the Big Ten meet, Taylor Amann enters the preliminary round ranked 17th with a season-best mark of 13-7 3/4, which ranks second in school history.
Senior Gabi Anzalone and junior Michele Lee will run the 10,000 meters, as Anzalone will make her fourth preliminary round appearance, while Lee makes her first.
Freshman Shaelyn Sorensen, the 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year in cross country, will compete in the 5000 meters.
The competition serves as the opening round of the NCAA outdoor championships for programs in the West Region and is one of two preliminary round meets. Schools in the East Region will send their athletes to compete in Jacksonville, Florida.
The top 12 finishers from each site advance to the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 8-11.
NCAA West Preliminary Round Qualifiers
5000 Meters
36. Shaelyn Sorensen – 16:21.79
10,000 Meters
36. Gabi Anzalone – 34:26.26
47. Michelle Lee – 34:54.62
400 Hurdles
11. Brenna Detra – 57.56
High Jump
11. Georgia Ellenwood –  5-10 3/4 (1.80m)
T-21. Emma Haugen – 5-9 1/4 (1.76m)
Pole Vault
17. Taylor Amann – 13-7 3/4 (4.16m)
Long Jump
T-14. Georgia Ellenwood – 20-3 3/4 (6.19m)
Shot Put
1. Kelsey Card – 60-10 3/4 (18.56m)
31. Kennedy Blahnik – 51-9 1/4 (15.78m)
39. Banke Oginni – 50-4 1/2 (15.35m)
Discus
1. Kelsey Card – 204-2 (62.22m)
34. Kennedy Blahnik – 168-3 (51.28m)
Hammer
7. Haley Showalter – 207-3 (63.18m)
Javelin
30. Brianna Bower – 156-6 (47.68m)
NCAA Outdoor Championships Qualifiers
Heptathlon
9. Georgia Ellenwood (5,914 points)
The Badgers will compete next Thursday through Saturday at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas, as the University of Kansas hosts the NCAA West Preliminary Round for the first time in school history.
2016 Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year Kelsey Card is the West's No. 1 seed in both the shot put and discus, as Card leads the entire nation in the discus with a season-best effort of 204 feet, 2 inches, which puts the senior No. 10 on the NCAA all-time list.
In addition, Card is the top seed in the shot put, as her season-best mark of 60-10 3/4 ranks second overall in the nation and No. 8 on the NCAA all-time list.
Card, who also had a qualifying mark in the hammer throw but elected not to compete in the event, isn't the only Badger to be ranked in the top 10 in an event as freshman Haley Showalter has the No. 7 seed in the hammer with a school-record mark of 207-3.
Joining Card and Showalter in the throwing events are Kennedy Blahnik, Brianna Bower and Banke Oginni.
Bower will make her third NCAA West Preliminary Round appearance in the javelin as the school record-holder in the event is seeded 30th.
Bahnik and Oginni make their first appearance at the NCAA preliminary round, as Blahnik will compete in the shot put and discus after placing in both events at the Big Ten meet, while Oginni will throw the shot.
Junior Brenna Detra enters as the No. 11 seed in the 400 hurdles after running the program's second-fastest time in the event of 57.56 seconds at last week's Big Ten championships.
Multi-event standout Georgia Ellenwood, who will compete at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon, will take part in the high jump and long jump at the NCAA West Preliminary Round. She is the No. 11 seed in the high jump with a season-best clearance of 5-10 3/4, while her long jump mark of 20-3 3/4 ranks 14th in the region.
Freshman Emma Haugen will make her NCAA West Preliminary Round debut in the high jump, as she enters the meet ranked tied for the 21st seed with a jump of 5-9 1/4.
After a fourth-place finish in the pole vault at the Big Ten meet, Taylor Amann enters the preliminary round ranked 17th with a season-best mark of 13-7 3/4, which ranks second in school history.
Senior Gabi Anzalone and junior Michele Lee will run the 10,000 meters, as Anzalone will make her fourth preliminary round appearance, while Lee makes her first.
Freshman Shaelyn Sorensen, the 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year in cross country, will compete in the 5000 meters.
The competition serves as the opening round of the NCAA outdoor championships for programs in the West Region and is one of two preliminary round meets. Schools in the East Region will send their athletes to compete in Jacksonville, Florida.
The top 12 finishers from each site advance to the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 8-11.
NCAA West Preliminary Round Qualifiers
5000 Meters
36. Shaelyn Sorensen – 16:21.79
10,000 Meters
36. Gabi Anzalone – 34:26.26
47. Michelle Lee – 34:54.62
400 Hurdles
11. Brenna Detra – 57.56
High Jump
11. Georgia Ellenwood –  5-10 3/4 (1.80m)
T-21. Emma Haugen – 5-9 1/4 (1.76m)
Pole Vault
17. Taylor Amann – 13-7 3/4 (4.16m)
Long Jump
T-14. Georgia Ellenwood – 20-3 3/4 (6.19m)
Shot Put
1. Kelsey Card – 60-10 3/4 (18.56m)
31. Kennedy Blahnik – 51-9 1/4 (15.78m)
39. Banke Oginni – 50-4 1/2 (15.35m)
Discus
1. Kelsey Card – 204-2 (62.22m)
34. Kennedy Blahnik – 168-3 (51.28m)
Hammer
7. Haley Showalter – 207-3 (63.18m)
Javelin
30. Brianna Bower – 156-6 (47.68m)
NCAA Outdoor Championships Qualifiers
Heptathlon
9. Georgia Ellenwood (5,914 points)
Players Mentioned
Pole Vault
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Middle Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Multi-Events
/ Women's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
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