UNI Track and Field: Truniger Secures Spot on U.S. Team

USATF Junior Outdoor Championships
June 22-25, 2017
Sacramento, California

5,000-meter race (women / final) – 11 a.m. CT June 23

USATF Outdoor Championships
June 22-25, 2017
Sacramento, California
TV: 3-5 p.m. June 24 / NBC
TV: 3-5 p.m. June 25 / NBC
Webcast: http://www.nbcsports.com/gold

200-meter dash (men / first round) - 1:48 p.m. CT June 24
Pole vault (men / final) – 2 p.m. CT June 24
3,000-meter steeplechase (women / final) – 4:24 p.m. CT June 24
200-meter dash (men / semifinal) – 2 p.m. CT June 25
200-meter dash (men / final) - 4:33 p.m. CT June 25

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – UNI track and field's Hannah Truniger secured a spot on the U.S. team to compete in July's Pan American Junior Championships.

Truniger took second in the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships in the 5,000-meter run today. The top two finishers represent the United States in Lima, Peru, July 21-23.

Truniger finished in 17 minutes, 5.37 seconds. UNI teammate McKayla Cole rolled in right behind her in third place at 17:23.50.

Truniger was seeded third, and Cole had the 12^th best time entering Friday's race.

Three more Panthers are competing for spots on the national team in the senior division. The top three finishers at the USATF Outdoor Championships will compete at the IAAF World Championships in London Aug. 4-13, 2017.

Assistant coach Alex Wilson has qualified for the 3,000-meter steeplechase final set for Saturday.

Wilson took fourth with a time of 9:45.70 to automatically qualify for the finals set for 4:24 p.m. CT Saturday. Wilson has the eighth fastest time in the nation so far this season and entered today's race seeded ninth.

Brandon Carnes, who just wrapped up his final season as a UNI student-athlete, is expected to compete in the 200-meter dash set for Saturday.

Carnes earned second-team All-America honors in the 100-meter dash at the 2017 NCAA Division I National Championships in Eugene, Oregon, earlier this month.

Assistant coach Jeff Cover will pole vault Saturday in the senior division.

UNI AT THE USATF CHAMPIONSHIPS
This will be the first time since 2013 any current student-athlete has competed at the Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Zach Buchheit competed in the 5,000-meter run. Former Panther Daniel Gooris competed in the senior division that same year to qualify for the Thorpe Cup in the decathlon.

Paige Knodle was UNI's last female student-athlete to compete at the junior championships. She took third place in the heptathlon as a freshman.

In 2010 and 2011, Holli Hosch was the last Panther still on the UNI roster to qualify for the USATF Outdoor Championships. She competed in the 800-meter run.

JUNIOR DIVISION – for chance to compete at Pan American Junior Championships

Hannah Truniger – The 2016 Missouri Valley Conference freshman of the year for cross country also earned two all-conference honors in the outdoor track season. She was third in the 5K and took second in the 10K. At the indoor Missouri Valley Conference Championships, she took third in 3K and fifth in the 5K races.

McKayla Cole – The Charles City graduate finished high school early to get a jump-start on her college education. She joined the UNI track and field team at the start of the spring semester and redshirted her outdoor season. She was an all-state performer as a prep, finishing second in her final state cross country championship.

USATF OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – for chance to compete in London

Brandon Carnes – Carnes wrapped up his college career as the school and conference record holder of the outdoor records for the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes and the indoor 60-meter dash. He also holds the UNI school record in the indoor 200-meter dash. Carnes earned 16 conference titles, going undefeated in the conference for all four years of competition.

Jeff Coover – He just wrapped up his fifth season assisting at UNI, working primarily with the pole vaulters. He was an All-American for Indiana University and continues to compete professionally, including at the Drake Relays and the most recent Olympic Trials. He competes for Under Armour.

Alex Wilson – The former Panther competed in the 2016 Olympic Trials and still holds four school records. She has the eighth fastest time in the nation in the 3,000-meter steeplechase this season. She returned to UNI to coach cross country and the mid-distance and distance crew for the men's and women's track and field teams. She competes for Oiselle.

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