After the final day of the NCAA East First Round at Hodges Stadium on Saturday, the Spartans have two more athletes who made their way to the NCAA Championship, and now a total of three national qualifiers, including Andrew Nolan, Kate Stewart-Barnett, and Rachel Forsyth.
Andrew Nolan was the first Spartan to qualify for the NCAA Championship weekend. Racing in the 3000-meter steeplechase, Nolan finished fourth in his heat and eighth overall, setting a new school-record time of 8:37.83. Nolan bested his own previous record of 8:40.95, which he set earlier at the Virginia Challenge on April 18.
Nolan has previously competed in the NCAA Cross Country Championship, but this will mark his first appearance in the NCAA Track and Field Championships, with high goals to be the first Spartan man to earn All-American honors since current MSU assistant coach Maz Benoit did so in 2018
Nolan isn’t the only Spartan who punched a ticket to their first appearance in the NCAA Outdoor Championships, as Kate Stewart-Barnett will be joining him in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Stewart-Barnett has already made impressive achievements this season as the reigning Big Ten Champion.
On Saturday, Stewart-Barnett finished second place in her heat, and fourth overall, clocking in at 9:47.15. She will now return to Hayward Field, the same track where she captured her Big Ten title back in May. Stewart-Barnett is looking to be the first Spartan woman to earn All-American honors in the 3000-meter steeplechase since Karrigan Smith in 2019.
In the women’s 5000-meter race, freshman Rachel Forsyth demonstrated maturity and impressive composure, managing to stay with the lead pack for most of her race, finishing sixth in her heat and ninth overall. Forsyth qualified for the NCAA Championship with a personal best time of 15:30.50, just seconds shy of first place Grace Hartman (NC State) who finished with a 15:23.52.
Forsyth is making huge strides as a freshman and is competing in her first NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, looking to become the first Spartan to earn All-American honors in the 5000-meter since Jenna Magness in 2021.
"Andy, Kate, and Rachel competed exceptionally well,” said Lisa Breznau, the director of Track and Field/Cross Country. “They were savvy, confident, and understood the goal. The group as a whole came out and supported one another. For some, this meet is a big stepping stone in their development and it takes a minute to learn how to compete here. It's incredibly humbling for everyone, including our qualifiers. Andy and Kate have stayed with it through adversity at this meet and trusted the plan for the day. Kate has been a great mentor for Rachel and helped her make this very big step.”
While MSU celebrates their three national qualifiers, it is a hard week of saying goodbye to their seniors, including Tyler Pritchett, Josh DeVries, and Val Pallett.
“Tyler Pritchett, Josh DeVries, and Val Pallett have provided a steady way for their teammates to emulate," Breznau said. "They are all high achieving in the classroom and on the track. I know their next chapter will be exciting."
Moving forward, the Spartans will travel back to Hayward Field, where the Big Ten Championship was held, to compete in the NCAA Track and Field Competitions in Eugene.
The Championship will take place from June 11 to June 14, with the men kicking it off on June 11.
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