Weber State University Athletics
Mike Hardy heads to NCAA Championships
6/9/2015 2:06:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
OGDEN, Utah – Mike Hardy will head to TrackTown USA this week in search of becoming the next Wildcat to earn All-American honors in the steeplechase. Hardy will begin that journey on Wednesday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore.
“I am happy for both Mike and Coach Pilkington,” Director of track and field Dan Walker said. “We redshirted him last spring with the thinking that he would come back with another year of training and finish like he is. When you are redshirting, it is very difficult to get into big meets as you have to fund it yourself. It is neat to see all that he has accomplished at the conference meet and the first round last week.”
Hardy, a senior from Mountain Green, Utah qualified for the championships after he placed second in his heat at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas. His time of 8:43.99 was the second-fastest time in the West region. Entering that meet, he had the ninth-fastest time in the nation.
“The first objective is to get him to earn All-American honors and then see how high he can place,” Walker said. “He has everything outlined and will be following the plan that has been presented. It will be exciting to see what happens this week.”
This is his second trip to the NCAA Championships after qualifying for the 2012 meet held in Des Moines, Iowa. Where he finished ninth in his heat in a time of 8:50.23 and did not advance to the finals.
He will finish his career in some of the best shape of his life. He won his second Big Sky Championship in the steeplechase running away from the field in 8:59.44. Also, he set a personal-best earlier in the season at the Payton Jordan Invitational in a time of 8:41.44. That is the 10th fastest time in school history.
The preliminary rounds of the 3,000 meter steeplechase will take place on Wednesday, June 10 at 5:38 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPNU. The top twelve runners will then move on to the finals on Friday, June 12 at 5:47 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPN.
Players Mentioned
