EUGENE, Ore. — Grand Canyon senior hurdler
Cam Wilmington concluded his season in the semifinal round of the men's 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Wednesday evening at Hayward Field.
With the event narrowed to 24 competitors, the top nine finishers in Wednesday's preliminary round advanced to Friday's final. Wilmington finished 20th with a time of 51.57 seconds. Although he does not advance further into the meet, Wilmington earned All-America honorable mention for his finish in the nation's top 24.
Less than two weeks ago at the NCAA West First Round in College Station, Texas, Wilmington logged a personal best in the event with a time of 50.04. Days later, he ran a 50.12 in the final to punch his ticket to Eugene. Either of those marks would have qualified for a top-nine finish Wednesday. However, conditions in Eugene led to slower times across the board, as only two of the event's 24 entrants improved on first-round marks.
Baylor's Nathan Ezekiel cruised to the top time of the semifinal round with a race of 47.86 that was more than 1.2 seconds faster than the nearest competitor.
Wilmington ended a successful outdoor season that saw him make GCU history as the program's first NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships qualifier in a men's track event and 16th qualifier overall. He also was a WAC champion in the 400 hurdles.