In the 3,000-meter steeplechase there were 200 meters, a water-pit jump and a barrier between Michigan redshirt junior Craig Forys and a qualifying bid for the NCAA Championships.
With his mind on the final straightaway, Forys momentarily lost his focus and clipped his leg going over the water-pit jump, tumbling face first into the water.
Forys was unfazed.
“I popped up as fast as I could and started moving again,” Forys said. “I saw a guy fall on the last barrier so I had a target to look for and I caught him, which got me going again in the final straight.
“If I blew it this time, it would have been a complete failure because I knew it would be a great chance to qualify and run a personal best. Both those things happened.”
Forys finished 10th, running a lifetime best of 8:44.29 and qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
The Michigan men’s track and field team competed against athletes from across the United States at the NCAA East Region Preliminary Rounds this past weekend in Bloomington.
“I think our guys competed really well,” Michigan coach Fred LaPlante said. “We are a pretty inexperienced squad and we’ve taken our lumps. It is a challenge and they did a great job.”
Forys also competed in the 5,000-meter run, finishing 14th with a time of 14:10.
“I moved up in the back and found myself in the top group in the last 800 meters,” Forys said. “I didn’t have the leg speed in the last 100 meters and ended up just short.”
The other Wolverines’ qualifier was star freshman hurdler Ali Arastu, who ran a personal best of 50.90 to finish sixth in the 400-meter hurdles.
“It was really impressive and a great performance for him,” LaPlante said.
Most athletes on the youthful Michigan squad will look to next season, including standout redshirt freshman Bradley James, who finished 14th in the high jump – nearly qualifying for the NCAA Championships. In another stiff competition, the 4×400-meter relay team placed 13th in a season’s best time of 3:07.00.
“There were a lot of things that were bittersweet,” LaPlante said. “That’s always tough when you get that close and you don’t make it.”
For Arastu and Forys — who compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa beginning on June 8 — the last week of preparation will focus on maintenance and fine-tuning.
“Most of the hard work is done right now,” Forys said. “On the mental side of things, this week I will almost forget about what is coming up and stay relaxed.”