Three members of the Iowa track and field team qualified for the finals on the first day of the NCAA Indoor Championships after finishing in the top-eight of their respective preliminary group. Chris Douglas, Brianna Guillory, and Karayme Bartley will compete Saturday for a national championship.

Douglas ran 7.79 in the 60-meter hurdles to finish seventh, while Guillory placed sixth in the 400 (52.99) and Bartley came in tied for seventh (20.75) in the 200.

The three qualifiers were the highlight of Day 1 for Iowa, as some other competitors did not put up their best marks.

“It was kind of a rough day for the women,” Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said in a release. “We had some high goals and didn’t get as much out of today as we had hoped. I’m proud of Jenny Kimbro and Tria Simmons for making their first NCAA Championships, and I know they will be even more motivated and prepared to score points outdoor. I’m excited for Briana, making her second NCAA final, and I feel for Laulauga Tausaga, but I’m happy she has another opportunity to perform tomorrow.”

Simmons and Kimbro finished 12th (4,090) and 15th (3,983) in the pentathlon, respectively.

Tausaga, as Woody mentioned, had a rough day for her standards, finishing 15th in the shot put (15.84 meters). Tausaga will compete again tomorrow in the weight throw.

The men’s side also fell short of their high expectations, but still produced highlights throughout the day.

“The guys had a pretty good day today,” Woody said in a release. “We had some highs and low, but overall, we are in a good spot going into tomorrow. I’m extremely excited for Karayme and Chris making their first NCAA Championship final.  Mar’Yea [Harris] has a great opportunity to show his ability tomorrow on the relay, and Jaylan [McConico] will be back strong for the outdoor season and be vying for a spot in the outdoor finals.”

Despite the ups and downs, six Hawkeyes earned second team All-American honors on Friday.

Harris (400 meters), McConico (60-meter hurdles), Simmons, (pentathlon), Lawrence (400 meters), Kimbro (pentathlon), and Tausaga (shot put) each earned the distinction.

Competition will resume for Iowa Saturday at 4:30 p.m. with Tausaga in the weight throw. The three finalists, as well as the men’s 1,600-meter relay team, will join Tausaga in competing on day two.

“[Saturday] is going to be a great day for our Iowa,” Woody said in a release. “We have a lot of opportunities left to score points.”