Nicholas Rack Advances to Final of 110 Hurdles on Day 2 of NCAA Championships

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Three University of California San Diego standouts competed on Day 2 of the 2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday at Irwin Belk Complex.

Junior Nicholas Rack was the highlight of the day for the Tritons, placing eighth overall in the preliminary round of the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.18-seconds. Rack advances to the final on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Rack, a native of Murrieta, is UC San Diego's all-time record-holder and a two-time USTFCCCA All-West Region honoree in the 110 hurdles. His best time of 14.00 is atop the school record books and was good enough to rank 11th in the nation and place third at the 2018 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships.

Senior Paul Doan (200 meters) and redshirt junior Tais Marinho-Gomez (triple jump) where also in action on Friday, but neither was able to advance to finals.

Marinho-Gomez had a best jump of 37-feet, 10-inches in the triple jump on Friday, placing 20th overall. The Sacramento native entered the national meet with a season-best leap of 40'1.5", which won first at the CCAA Championships and ranks second all-time at UC San Diego.

Marinho-Gomez is a two-time USTFCCCA All-West Region honoree in the event.

Doan crossed the finish line in the 200 in 21.38-seconds, which was good for 19th place overall and not far off from the eighth and final qualifying time of 21.11. The San Diego native and St. Augustine High graduate entered the NCAA Championships ranked 23rd in the nation, and is the school record-holder in the event with a time of 21.10.

The first UC San Diego male sprinter to ever qualify for the Division II national meet, Doan is also UC San Diego's record-holder in the 100 (10.39), in which he earned All-America honors with an 11th-place finish in the preliminary round on Day 1.

In addition to Rack competing in the Saturday's 110 hurdles final, UC San Diego juniors Matt Bowen and Arik Nesbit will both be in action in the triple jump on Saturday morning beginning at 9:45 a.m. PT.

NAME	EVENT	NATIONAL RANK	ENTRY MARK	COMPETITION TIME	NCAA MARK	PLACE
Matt Bowen	Long Jump	9	24'9"	Thursday, May 24, 11:30 a.m. PT	24'1.5"	12th
Paul Doan	100	16	10.39	Thursday, May 24, 3:10 p.m. PT	10.58	11th
Meghan Fletcher	400 hurdles	20	1:00.59	Thursday, May 24, 4:55 p.m. PT	1:01.95	18th
Tais Marinho-Gomez	Triple Jump	21	40'1.5"	Friday, May 25, 1:45 p.m. PT	37'10"	20th
Paul Doan	200	23	21.10	Friday, May 25, 2:35 p.m. PT	21.38	18th
Nicholas Rack	110 hurdles	11	14.00	Friday, May 25, 3:40 p.m. PT/Saturday, May 26, 1:05 p.m. PT	14.18 (prelims)	8th (prelims)
Arik Nesbit	Triple Jump	17	50'0"	Saturday, May 26, 9:45 a.m. PT
Matt Bowen	Triple Jump	7	51'4.1"	Saturday, May 26, 9:45 a.m. PT