Quick Quartet: Badgers qualify four to NCAA Championships

Wednesday, May 24

Sacramento, CA

Wisconsin Badgers

NCAA West Preliminary Round

Abdullahi Hassan competes in the 800 meters.

Quick Quartet: Badgers qualify four to NCAA Championships

May 26, 2023 | Men's Track & Field

Johnson, Hassan, Spencer and Jackson advance to national meet

By: Diane Nordstrom

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A quartet of athletes from the 23rd-ranked Wisconsin men's track and field team qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships after their performances at the NCAA West Preliminary Round on Friday.

Senior Lawrence Johnson, junior Abdullahi Hassan, sophomore Adam Spencer and junior Jackson Sharp booked their tickets to the national championships in their respective events.

"I'm very please with today's results," UW Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne said. "Of course there was an expectation that LO, Abdullahi, Adam and Jackson would advance, but the reality of what it took to move on to Austin is something else. There was no room for error out there tonight. You needed your "A" game and our guys brought it tonight."

NCAA qualifiers

Johnson is peaking at the right time, running a personal best of 10.16 seconds in the 100 meters. The Waunakee native won his heat to automatically qualify for the national championship. Johnson finished ninth overall, finishing just 0.8 seconds off his personal best time.

"I'm pretty excited for the opportunities that lie ahead for us," said Johnson post-race. "Coach (Kareem) Jackson spent hours and hours of time working with me and I'm grateful for it, and we'll see how it pays off for us down in Austin."

Hassan finished second in his heat and third overall to also automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. The Toronto native was in third place with a lap remaining and used a 54.5 second last lap to move into second, crossing in 1:46.56, just 0.5 seconds off his personal best.

Spencer also automatically qualified for the national championship, finishing third in the 1500 meters in 3:38.90. The Australian took third in his heat, the fastest heat of the two quarterfinals. Spencer was among the top-four runners the entire race, moving up one place over the final 400 meters.

Sharp is also peaking at the best time, improving his personal best mark by more than three seconds to finish third in the 5000 meters in 13:26.56. The Australian was part of a two-person breakaway at the mile mark before Stanford's Ky Robinson, who won the race in 13:22.29, took a five-second lead with a mile remaining. Brian Fay of Washington passed Sharp with 800 meters to go to finish second in 13:24.71. Fellow Badgers Rowen Ellenberg and Jack Meijer finished 32nd and 42nd, respectively, in 14:03.46 and 14:18.36.

Other finishers

Freshman Logan Measner wrapped up an impressive rookie season by finishing 18th in the 3000-meter steeplechase. The Jackson, Wisconsin, native improved his personal best by nearly four seconds, crossing in 8:41.89, which ranks 10th on the UW all-time performance list. Transfer Benjamin Nibbelink placed 25th in the steeplechase in 8:47.69.

Redshirt junior Andrew Stone wrapped up his season by finishing 18th in the discus. The Fond du Lac native had a toss of 183-7.

Up Next

The Badgers send six qualifiers to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 7-10 in Austin, Texas. The championships will be held at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the University of Texas campus.

Final results

100 meters
9. Lawrence Johnson - 10.16

800 meters
3. Abdullahi Hassan - 1:46.56

1500 meters
3. Adam Spencer - 3:38.90

5000 meters
3. Jackson Sharp - 13:26.56 PR / No. 6 UW
32. Rowen Ellenberg - 14:03.46
42. Jack Meijer - 14:18.36

Steeplechase
18. Logan Measner - 8:41.89 PR
25. Benjamin Nibbelink - 8:47.69

Discus
18. Andrew Stone - 183-7