Quartet of Bears Head to Eugene for NCAA Championships

Quartet of Bears Head to Eugene for NCAA Championships

EUGENE, Ore. – Four members of the California Golden Bears are set to compete at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, beginning on Wednesday at Hayward Field. Junior distance-runner Thomas Joyce, freshman distance-runner Bethan Knights, redshirt sophomore thrower Ethan Cochran and freshman jumper Walt Jones IV have all qualified to compete and represent the Bears. Competition runs from Wednesday, June 10 through Saturday, June 13.
 
Joyce has had quite the season for the Bears, etching his name all over the Cal record books. He is slated to compete in the men’s 1500-meters semifinals on Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. PT and should he qualify for the final, that will be held on Friday, June 12 at 4:45 p.m. Joyce clocked a career-best time of 3:39.43 at the Big Meet at Stanford on April 11, which was a new school record, as well as a Big Meet Record. That time was the fourth best time run this season nationally.
 
“This is a special opportunity for us as student-athletes,” Joyce said of the opportunity to compete at the NCAA Championships. “We will be competing against the very best that the NCAA has to offer in a city nicknamed ‘Track Town USA,’ for its love and dedication to the sport. Every year Eugene packs their stadium with 15,000-plus and the energy has always been palpable and the noise has been deafening. It is truly a tremendous experience for all of us.”
 
Jones, who transferred to Cal from Oregon State, announced his presence immediately during the outdoor season, setting his best legal mark in the long jump of 25-4.50 (7.73m) at the Cal Outdoor Opener back on March 7 in Berkeley. That mark placed him eighth on Cal’s All-Time Performers List. His best overall mark came wind-aided at the Prelims in Austin, Texas on May 28, when he leapt a distance of 25-7.25 (7.80) to qualify for the NCAA Championships. He is set to compete in the men’s long jump final, which will take place on Wednesday, June 10 at 5:15 p.m.
 
“It is great to be heading to the NCAA’s after leaving the football program at Oregon State,” Jones said when asked of the significance of qualifying. “I’m doing what I love and it is exciting to be able to compete on such a big stage. I’m looking forward to going out there at competing at a high level.”
 
Knights burst onto the scene this season as a freshman for the Bears both in cross country and on the track. She seized freshman school records in the 1500-meters (4:19.60) and 3000-meters (9:18.42 during her indoor season), and is amongst the top ten in school history in the 5000-meters (16:02.49), ranking fifth after her Preliminary Round qualifying performance on May 30. Knights will be competing in the women’s 5000-meters final on Saturday, June 13 at 4 p.m.
 
“I feel so honored to be running amongst such a talented group of ladies in the 5k as a freshman,” Knights said. “In the qualifying round at regionals I realized that there was nothing more that I wanted than to have the chance to race at nationals, so I really put my heart out there and ended up winning, which was very exciting. I hope to put in as much desire and effort this week at nationals.”
 
Cochran, a native of Costa Mesa, California, put himself into 10th place on Cal’s All-Time Performers List in the discus back on March 7 at the Cal Outdoor Opener with a mark of 190-3 (57.99m). He qualified in Austin with a seventh place finish with a throw of 183-0 (55.79m) on May 28. He is slated to compete at 4:05 p.m. on Friday, June 12 in the men’s discus final.
 
“Heading to Eugene means a lot to me,” Cochran said. “It has shown me that perseverance through obstacles that I cannot control both in both track and field and school is not enough to keep me from reaching my goals. Keeping my faith in God and trusting that he has a plan for me has given me the opportunity to express my athleticism and competitive nature in the sporting arena. This trip to Eugene is just the next step on my path back to the world stage.”
 
Cal fans are encouraged to follow @Cal_Track on Twitter and follow live results here to stay up to date on all the action from Eugene at the NCAA Championships.