After a record 38 individual athletes and three relay teams qualified for the NCAA East Preliminaries at the end of May, seven moved on the compete at the highest level — the NCAA Championships held at the University of Oregon in Eugene earlier this month.
Four Tar Heel runners including Jesse Hunt, Brandon Tubby, Conor Lundy and Thomas Ratcliffe qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships alongside three throwers — Daniel McArthur, Jill Shippee and Madison Wiltrout.
North Carolina's dedication and consistency were evident, and athletes shined amongst tough competition. Runners Tubby and Hunt finished 18th and 21st respectively in the men's 1500-meter. Lundy finished 18th in the 5000-meter while graduate student Ratcliffe set a school record, placing 7th and earning first-team All-America honors in the 5000-meter. Women’s javelin thrower Wiltrout placed 16th, while teammate McArthur placed 18th in men's shot put.
The throwing team's performance was highlighted by Shippee, who finished 3rd in the hammer throw on her way to earning first-team All-America honors.
Shippee threw the hammer 227 feet and 9 inches (69.42 meters) for a lifetime best. The junior thrower attributed her performance to her mindset, saying she throws her best when she is relaxed and confident.
Shippee didn't take all the credit, though. She said she was grateful for the patience and commitment from Assistant Throwing Coach Amin Nikfar throughout the season.
Nikfar said his team's strategy is consistency and confidence to help manage high-stress competitions like Jil's championship throw.
"When we get into stressful situations like bigger meets, we have enough technical tolerance to be able to get in and operate and execute," Nikfar said.
McArthur said Shippee is the perfect role model for the hard work and consistency that their coaches preach.
