PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots men's and women's track and field teams qualified a combined total of 13 athletes who will compete at the NCAA West Preliminary, which will be held in Sacramento, Calif., on May 24-26. Three Pilots will compete for the women, while 10 will race for the men.
 
Junior Taryn Rawlings, who recently broke the UP-school record in the 1500m, qualified for the West Prelims with the fourth best time overall. Last year, Rawlings made it to the semifinal round of the 2017 NCAA Track and Field Championships.
 
Three-time All-American and junior Lauren LaRocco is back for the 2018 season after redshirting both the 2017 track and cross-country seasons, qualifying for both the 5,000m and the 10,000m. The last time LaRocco was at the NCAA championships, she earned All-American honors in both these events. Sophomore Aoibhe Richardson also will compete at the NCAA West Prelims in the 10,000m in her first post season track appearance as a Pilot.  
 
"We have a small group going but all of them are feeling good and ready to compete," said women's head coach Ian Solof. "We are really focused on racing well and I'm excited to see what they can do. All three of them are really coming on right now and should be ready for their best racing of the season."
 
On the men's side, juniors Trent Mazelli and Stuart McCallum will represent Portland in the 1500m, with Mazelli currently holding one of the top-20 times in the country. The Dutch duo Simon Grannetia and Noah Schutte have also had an exceptional season competing in the steeplechase, both moving up the UP-record books. Grannetia qualifies with the third best time and Schutte, who was second team All-American at last year's championship, holds the 10^th best in the nation. Sophomore Riley Osen will also be making his first appearance at the West Prelims in the steeplechase, with 20^th best time.
 
Sophomores Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse and Michal Teran-Solono will both compete in the 5000m, with Roudolff-Levisse also qualifying for the 10,000m with the eight best time in the country. Roudolff-Levisse is having a breakout season on the Bluff having led the cross-country team to their best ever finish at nationals and also garnering All-American honors. Junior Nick Hauger and senior Matt Welch, who were also part of the seven that took second during the cross-country season, will also compete in the 10,000m. Junior Gabriel Haughey marks the final Pilot to qualify for regionals, with this being his first year competing at the Prelims in the 10,000m.
 
 
West Prelim Qualifiers
Name (placement) – Event (time)
 
Women
Taryn Rawlings (4) – 1500m (4:14.50)
Lauren La Rocco (40) - 5000m (16:18.04)
Lauren La Rocco (7) – 10,000m (33:18.62)
Aoibhe Richardson (40) – 10,000m (34:35.60)
 
Men
Trent Mazelli (17) – 1500m (3:43.57)
Stuart McCallum (33) – 1500m (3:34.33)
Simon Grannetia (3) – 3000m steeplechase (8:40.07)
Noah Schutte (10) – 3000m steeplechase (8:47.53)
Riley Osen (20) – 3000m steeplechase (8:52.70)
Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse (31) – 5000m (13:58.01)
Michal Teran-Solono (35) – 5000m (13:59.02)
Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse (8) – 10,000m (28:55.50)
Nick Hauger (23) – 10,000m (29:16.34)
Gabriel Haughey (24) – 10,000m (29:16.67)
Matt Welch (29) – 10,000m (29:18.06)