This week the UC San Diego Track and Field traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina to take part in the 2018 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Redshirt junior Matt Bowen, senior Paul Doan, and senior Meghan Fletcher opened the the tournament for the Tritons, participating in the long jump, 100 meters, and 400 hurdles, respectively. Bowen started the day off for the UCSD, recording a jump of 7.35 meters, only 0.06 meters short of the top-nine qualifiers for the final round. Bowen’s jump was able to get him 12th place. In the 100 meters, Doan ran a qualifying time of 10.58, landing him in 11th. Like Bowen, Doan was very close to qualifying, coming in right behind the final qualifying time of 10.56, set by Tiffin University’s Reginald Thomas. Fletcher finished the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:01.95, placing 18th.

Day two of the tournament was highlighted by junior Nicholas Rack in the 110 meter hurdles. Rack finished the race in 14.18 seconds, enough to earn him 8th place and secure himself a spot in the final round. Rack came into the competition ranked 11th in the nation. Doan and redshirt junior Tais Marinho-Gomez were also in action, competing in the 200 meter and triple jump respectively. In the 200 meter, Doan recorded a time of 21.11, putting him in 19th place overall. In the triple jump, Marinho-Gomez’s best jump was 11.53 meters, placing 20th overall.

On the final day of competition, Rack continued to impress. In the final round of the 110 meter hurdles, Rack placed 4th with a time of 14.06 seconds. Meanwhile, Bowen and junior Arik Mesbit participated in the triple jump. Bowen’s best jump was 15.06 meters (13th); Nesbit’s best was 14.33 meters (21th). Neither was able to advance to the final round.

With the end of the NCAA championship, the UCSD track and field season comes to a close.