HAVERFORD, Pa. - Haverford College junior Reza Eshghi has been selected to represent the men's track & field program in the mile run at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Virginia Beach, Va., next Saturday and Sunday.
For each men's individual contest, the top 20 declared student-athletes were accepted into the competition. The mile prelims are slated for 2:50 p.m. ET on Friday, with the championship race to follow on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. ET. The top four finishers in each heat on Friday, plus the next two fastest times, will advance to the finals on Saturday. This will be the first indoor nationals appearance for Eshghi, who competed in last fall's NCAA Championships for Cross Country in Newville, Pa.
Eshghi brought Haverford back to the top of the medal podium in the mile after a one-year hiatus from gold, delivering an impressive 4:16.06 to claim the title a weekend ago. Eshghi's accomplishment is noteworthy as he scored in the event for the third consecutive season, becoming the 26th Centennial Conference mile champion from the program.
The Lincoln, Mass., product earned the eventual NCAA qualifying time in his home state at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Competing in the 13th heat of the day, he executed a late kick to lead much of the final lap. However, he was overtaken late by two Division I power five competitors, Christopher Hill of Rutgers, and Charlie Smith of Georgia Tech. Eshghi finished with a time of 4:07.28, a new personal best. The mark also stands as the seventh-fastest in program indoor history. Eshghi will enter as the 13th seed.
A full preview of NCAA Championship Weekend will be made available next week. Fans are encouraged to follow @HCFords_Sports on Twitter and @HCFordsSports on Instagram for the latest postseason updates.