A successful track-and-field career came to an end for senior Jordan Cross last week as he failed to qualify for the finals of the NCAA Track and Field Championships.
Cross was the only competitor from Weber State to race at the NCAA championship race in Eugene, Oregon, this year.
He clocked 9:00.82 in the semifinal race, 10th in his heat but 20th in the event overall.
Unfortunately for Cross, only the top-12 runners would advance to the steeplechase finals.
Cross proved to be one of the best steeplechase runners in Weber State University history with a personal-best 8:41.72, the 11th fastest time in school history.
Assistant track coach Corbin Talley said he was in awe of the student-athlete that Cross has become.
“I have been so impressed with Jordan as an athlete, a student and a person,” Talley said. “I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to work with Jordan and to get to know him. I remember watching him at Ogden High School, and while he was already a strong high school runner, it is obvious that he has continued to progress into a national class runner.”
While the 2018 outdoor track season had its highs for Cross, it kicked of to a rough start. Cross experienced a setback early on due to a bout of flu that turned into a sinus infection, causing Jordan to miss the majority of the season.
Cross was actually only able to participate in four outdoor meets this season. When he could run, he made the most of those races.
He qualified for the NCAA West Regionals in his first performance of the year at BYU and won the steeplechase at the Big Sky Conference Championships in Moscow, Idaho.
Cross qualified for the NCAA Track and Field Championships with the best race of his career and ran an 8:41.72 at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Sacramento, finishing seventh overall, qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
His time of 9:00.82 during the championship race was 19 seconds off the personal best time he posted just a few weeks earlier, which would have him qualified him for the finals with a fourth-place finish.
Now that the Weber State track and field season is officially over, Talley said they will begin working toward an even better showing next year.
“We saw some strong performances throughout the season, but we weren’t quite satisfied with our Conference finish as a team,” Talley explained. “We will be working hard in the off-season and really preparing to do better next year. We have a strong group returning, and we are adding a very talented freshman class.
