Michigan
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Zeller Takes Bronze at NCAA Championships to End Michigan Men's Season
6/10/2022 11:30:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
Site: Eugene, Ore. (Hayward Field)
Event: NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (Day 2 of 2)
U-M Result: Tied for 46th (6 points)
Next U-M Event: Season completed
• Results (PDF) | Photo Gallery
EUGENE, Ore. -- Hurdler Joshua Zeller of the University of Michigan track and field team claimed a bronze medal and rewrote the program record books Friday (June 10) on the final day of men's competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon.
One year and one day after his All-American dreams crashed to the ground in the semifinals at the 2021 championships, Zeller delivered on his status as one of the fastest men in collegiate history, running 13.26 seconds (+0.0 meters-per-second [m/s] wind reading) to finish third in one of the fastest and deepest NCAA 110-meter hurdles finals in meet history.
As the NCAA celebrated 100 years of these championships, Zeller's third-place time would have won the title in all but nine other editions of the meet dating back to 1921.
It took a pair of historic performances from No. 2 all-time collegian Trey Cunningham of Florida State (13.00) and No. 5 Eric Edwards, Jr. (13.15) of LSU to down Zeller, who achieved a litany of superlatives with his effort, including his first-ever first team All-America award.
His was the fastest third-place finish in all of meet history, besting by 0.11 seconds the 13.37 run by Isaiah Moore in 2019. The third-, fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and ninth-place hurdlers in the race all posted the fastest-ever times for their respective finishing positions.
It was also the fastest time ever run by a Big Ten competitor at the NCAA Championships, eclipsing the 13.30 run in the 2012 semifinals by Illinois' national champion Andrew Riley, and the 13th-fastest time by anyone from any conference at the championships, tied with former world champion and Olympic silver medalist Jason Richardson of South Carolina.
Combined with his 13.19 (+1.6m/s) from the Big Ten Championships, Zeller cemented himself as one of the greatest hurdlers in conference history as he now owns the first- and third-fastest times on the all-time Big Ten list.
He achieved that history despite another slow start. The Englishman was the second-to-last man in the nine-deep field to clear the first hurdle, with Cunningham and Edwards already a half-step ahead in the early going.
Zeller geared up quickly, as he hurdled the second row in lockstep with six other men battling for third place. The battle for the bronze was down to four men by the fourth hurdle, but Zeller started to pull away from that group by hurdle five.
Known around the country for his closing speed and strength in the second half of the race, Zeller continued to separate from his pursuers and keep pace with Cunningham and Edwards. He started to gain on Edwards over the final two hurdles, and closed the gap a bit tighter with his signature mad dash to the finish line after the hurdle as the Tiger clipped the last barrier.
Though the collegiate season has reached its conclusion, select members of the team, including Zeller, will continue their individual campaigns at their respective senior-level and U20 national championships.
Zeller met the World Championships standard and is eligible to return to Hayward Field in July to represent Great Britain, should the nation select him for its contingent. His summer also will include the British Trials later this month and potentially the Commonwealth Games in late July, pending selection.
Michigan Results
Q/q = qualified for the next round
400 meter dash
Semifinals
23. Dubem Amene / 46.68
800 meter run
Semifinals
16. Miles Brown / 1:47.99Â [New PR]
Steeplechase
Semifinals
21. Christian Hubaker / 8:48.91
110 meter hurdles
Final
3. Joshua Zeller / 13.26 [+0.0m/s] (First-Team All-America)
Semifinals
4. Joshua Zeller / 13.45Q [-0.2m/s]
• Results: Day 1
Players Mentioned
