Completed Event: Track & Field versus NCAA Championships on June 12, 2025 ,
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Thursday, May 24
Sacramento, CA
All Day
University of Utah
at
NCAA West Preliminary
Faust Advances to 800 Meter Quarterfinal at NCAA Track West Preliminary
5/24/2018 11:06 PM | Track & Field
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior Caitlin Faust finished third in the third heat of the 800 meter run to advance to Friday's quarterfinals to lead the Utah track and field team on the first day of the NCAA Track and Field West Preliminary on Thursday, hosted by Sacramento State.
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Faust finished 21st overall with a time of 2:08.39. Friday's quarterfinal races begin at 6:45 p.m. PT.
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"Caitie ran a very experienced, savvy race," Utah head coach Kyle Kepler said. "She smoothly moved up, picked her spots, was aggressive when she needed to be and handled it like a pro and grabbed that last automatic qualifying spot. She beat out one of the runners who beat her at the Pac-12 Championships down the stretch. Caitie missed a workout after rolling an ankle earlier this week but it didn't seem to hinder her. I never saw her worry about that, she just got herself ready to go and looked poised and controlled. Sometimes that can be a blessing in disguise because she also got a little extra rest. Now she has a chance to race to go to Eugene and that's all that you can ask for at this meet."
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Also competing in the 800 was sophomore Sarah Newton, who finished fifth in the fifth heat to finish 26th overall with a time of 2:09.00.
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"Being here for the first time, experience probably hurt Sarah a little bit," Kepler said. "Give her all the credit though for being as aggressive as she was. She was absolutely fearless. She jumped right up there at 200 meters, but the leader put the breaks on at 300 meters and she got swallowed up and pushed back. That's championship racing. We don't experience races as tactical as this one during the season, and when you don't have a lot of experience, that's a challenge. Coaches talk about races like this but we know until the student-athletes go through them and get experience, it's hard to get them to understand how it's going to happen. It stinks to be out the outside looking in and a half second from qualifying for the next round, but she knows she belongs in the field. This season she brought her lifetime best down five seconds.
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"Huge credit to [assistant coach] Mackenzie Wartenberger, who has done a great job with the mid-distance crew and has really been a positive force for those guys. We're excited for Caitie to be racing tomorrow and Sarah to have her first of what we think will be more chances to race here."
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Also competing on Friday will be senior Grayson Murphy in the 3,000 steeplechase. She has the fifth-best time in the NCAA this season in the event. Murphy will compete in the second heat. The top three finishers from each of the three heats, as well as the next three overall best times, will move on to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.
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Faust finished 21st overall with a time of 2:08.39. Friday's quarterfinal races begin at 6:45 p.m. PT.
Â
"Caitie ran a very experienced, savvy race," Utah head coach Kyle Kepler said. "She smoothly moved up, picked her spots, was aggressive when she needed to be and handled it like a pro and grabbed that last automatic qualifying spot. She beat out one of the runners who beat her at the Pac-12 Championships down the stretch. Caitie missed a workout after rolling an ankle earlier this week but it didn't seem to hinder her. I never saw her worry about that, she just got herself ready to go and looked poised and controlled. Sometimes that can be a blessing in disguise because she also got a little extra rest. Now she has a chance to race to go to Eugene and that's all that you can ask for at this meet."
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Also competing in the 800 was sophomore Sarah Newton, who finished fifth in the fifth heat to finish 26th overall with a time of 2:09.00.
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"Being here for the first time, experience probably hurt Sarah a little bit," Kepler said. "Give her all the credit though for being as aggressive as she was. She was absolutely fearless. She jumped right up there at 200 meters, but the leader put the breaks on at 300 meters and she got swallowed up and pushed back. That's championship racing. We don't experience races as tactical as this one during the season, and when you don't have a lot of experience, that's a challenge. Coaches talk about races like this but we know until the student-athletes go through them and get experience, it's hard to get them to understand how it's going to happen. It stinks to be out the outside looking in and a half second from qualifying for the next round, but she knows she belongs in the field. This season she brought her lifetime best down five seconds.
Â
"Huge credit to [assistant coach] Mackenzie Wartenberger, who has done a great job with the mid-distance crew and has really been a positive force for those guys. We're excited for Caitie to be racing tomorrow and Sarah to have her first of what we think will be more chances to race here."
Â
Also competing on Friday will be senior Grayson Murphy in the 3,000 steeplechase. She has the fifth-best time in the NCAA this season in the event. Murphy will compete in the second heat. The top three finishers from each of the three heats, as well as the next three overall best times, will move on to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.
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