NCAA Championship - Outdoor Track and Field Day 2 Open Thread

Hosted by the track powerhouse that is the University of Oregon, the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship does have a few Cal Bears in it. Bears' best hopes, Pac-12 Champs Ray Stewart and Hammed Suleman are both in action today (Thursday).

Can one of them give Cal their 31st (and maybe even 32nd) NCAA championship from Track and Field in school history? GO BEARS!

Thursday's Results: NCAA

Viewing Information:

THURSDAY - ESPN3 Webcast starts at 3:50pm

11AM - 3:50PM PT Pac-12.com
Feed 1 - Main Program, Track Events
Feed 2 - (Decathlon) 110H, Discus, Pole
Feed 3 - (Heptathlon) 100H, High
Feed 4 - (M) Hammer
Feed 5 - (W) Discus
3:50 - 8PM PT: ESPN3
Television Style Broadcast, All Events

FRIDAY - ESPNU Telecast starts at 4:30pm

12:30 - 4:30PM PT: Pac-12.com

Feed 1 - Main Program, Track Events
Feed 2 - (Heptathlon) Long, Javelin; (M) Discus
Feed 3 - (M) High
Feed 4 - (W) Triple
Feed 5 - (W) Pole
4:30 - 8PM PT: ESPNU
Television Broadcast, All Events

SATURDAY - ESPNU Telecast starts at 2:00pm

12:30 - 2PM PT: Pac-12.com
Feed 1 - Main Program, Track Events
Feed 2 - (W) High
Feed 3 - (M) Triple
Feed 4 - (M) Javelin
Feed 5 - (W) Shot
2 - 4PM PT: ESPNU
Television Broadcast, All Events

What to look for on Thursday:

From CalBears.com:

Cal's two Pac-12 champions - Ray Stewart andHammed Suleman - will be in action Thursday. Stewart is one of the favorites in the men's 110-meter hurdles, while Suleman set a PR in capturing the conference long jump crown.

and their profiles:

Ray Stewart - 110-meter hurdles
Senior / Oakland, Calif. (James Logan HS/Merritt College)
A two-time conference champion in the 110m hurdles ... captured the title in 2011 (13.48) and again earlier this spring with a PR 13.43 seconds ... the No. 2 hurdler in school history behind Larry Cowling, who ran 13.39 in 1982 ... won his qualifying heat at the NCAA West Preliminary meet in 13.65 ... has made a remarkable recovery from an ACL tear and subsequent knee surgery ... suffered the injury early in 2012 and was competing on the track exactly one year after surgery ... set a Cal indoor record in the 60-meter hurdles (7.68) and reached the final at the 2013 NCAA indoor meet where he placed eighth (7.89) ... a two-time state JC champion in the 110m hurdles at Merritt College in Oakland ... stands 6-foot-4 ... sociology major.

Watch Ray Stewart's 110m hurdles victory at Sunday's Pac-12 Championships - tinyurl.com/c8q6jqu

— Cal Track & Field (@Cal_Track) May 13, 2013

Hammed Suleman - Long Jump
Junior / Antioch, Calif. (Deer Valley HS)
Won the Pac-12 long jump crown after soaring 25-11.50w at the championships ... the effort makes him the fourth-best in the event under all conditions in school history ... recorded a best of 53-4.50w in the triple jump at the Texas Relays and was the Pac-12 runner-up in the event but did not advance to NCAAs ... has suffered from nerve entrapment and soft tissue compression in his lower leg, which puts pressure on a nerve and can result in painful takeoffs ... has undergone several procedures to alleviate the pain, including one last week ... runner-up in the long jump at the Pac-12 meet in 2012 ... reached the NCAA indoor meet in the triple jump in 2011, finishing 12th ... captured the 2009 California state title in the triple jump ... social welfare major.

25'1" on 2nd for Hammed will safely get him through to final 16. twitter.com/Cal_Track/stat…

— Cal Track & Field (@Cal_Track) May 23, 2013

GO BEARS!

Cal's NCAA Championships Schedule

Cal's Results on Wednesday:

Men
4x100m relay (semifinal) - 22. Julius Travis, Tom Blocker, Chad Jones, Dash Oliver 40.68

Women
Long Jump - 10. Malaina Payton 20-7.00w (6.27m)

Malaina Payton got the 20-7 on her second jump but fell a mere 3/4 of an inch short of a top 9 spot for a place in the final.

In the NCAA for the first time since 1997, the 4x100 m relay squad finished 22 overall (7th in their heat).