BearTalk

Cal’s Chase Wheeler and Deborah Maier qualified for the NCAA Championships with performances Thursday at the NCAA West Preliminary meet in Austin, Texas.

Wheeler had a wind-aided long jump mark of 25 feet, 2 3/4 inches to finish 11th.

Maier easily advanced to the NCAA finals in the 10,000 meters, running fifth in a field of 48 with a time of 33 minutes, 59.90 seconds. Earlier this season, the junior ran the third-fastest 10K time ever by a collegiate runner, clocking 32:12.47.

The West prelims meet continues through Saturday with athletes vying for spots at the NCAA Championships, June 6-9 at Des Moines, Iowa.