Track and field competes in NCAA indoor championships

This past weekend, Rice competed in the 2015 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The competition saw the University of Oregon win a second consecutive championship in the men’s competition. Oregon had also won the previous five championships on the women’s side of the draw, though that streak was broken this year as the University of Arkansas earned their first ever women’s title. On the men’s side, the Owls tied for 62nd place out of 87 schools, while the women’s side tied for 52nd place out of 81 schools.

The Owls had several notable performances at the championships in the both the men’s and women’s competitions. On the men’s side, senior Chris Pillow impressed with his finish in the pole vault, as the senior’s 5.40-meter jump tied for seventh-best in the field. This finish earned the Owls a point in the team standings. Ben Pressley, a senior who finished 13th in the long jump, as well as sophomore Scott Filip, who finished 14th in the 60-meter heptathlon, had notable finishes. On the women’s side, senior Claire Uke earned a point for her team with an eighth-place finish in the shot put with a best mark of 17.14 meters.

With his performance, Pillow earned First-Team All-American status, while Filip and Pressley garnered Second-Team All-American honors with theirs. Similarly, Uke also earned First-Team All-American status for her performance.

Both track teams will now move on to the outdoor track season, which will span the remainder of the semester and end deep into June with the NCAA Outdoor and USA Track and Field Championships.