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Badrani, Melanese Set to Compete at NCAA Outdoor Championships

SAN MARCOS, Calif.Rasha Badrani and Nick Melanese will begin competition at the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Thursday at Welch Stadium on the campus of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas.
 

2024 NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date Thursday, May 24 & Saturday, May 26
Time Thursday - 3:10 p.m. (PT) & 5:55 p.m. (PT)
Saturday - 12:25 p.m. (PT) & 2:20 p.m. (PT)
Location Emporia, Kan.
Venue Welch Stadium
Live Results Leone Timing
Live Video Thursday: NCAA.com
Saturday: NCAA.com

 
NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Badrani qualified in the 400-meter hurdles with a school-record time of 59.30 at the CCAA Track & Field Championships in early May.
  • Badrani's time is the 11th fastest in the field of 20 selected to compete in the event.
  • This will be Badrani's second consecutive season competing in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships as she finished 18th in 2023 with a time of 1:02.02.
  • Badrani's 400-meter hurdles prelim is set to begin at 5:55 p.m. (PT) on Thursday evening. Should she qualify for the final, Badrani would compete at 2:20 p.m. (PT) on Saturday.
  • Melanese qualified in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:44.80 at the Mangrum Invitational on March 22.
  • Melanese's time is the 18th fastest in the 19-man field set to compete.
  • This will be Melanese's second consecutive year competing in the NCAA Championships, but it will his first time competing in the 1500. He competed in the 800-meter run last season and finished 16th with a time of 3:44.80.
  • Melanese is the only men's team student-athlete to ever qualify for the NCAA Championships.
  • Melanese's 1500-meter prelim will start at 3:10 p.m. (PT) on Thursday afternoon. Should he qualify for the final, Melanese would compete at 12:25 p.m. (PT) on Saturday,

THE OLSON FILE

  • Head coach Torrey Olson begins his sixth season at the helm of the men's and women's track & field programs after taking over in the summer of 2018.
  • In 2019, Olson's men's and women's squads tallied three individual CCAA Championships for outdoor competition while the men's team earned five USTFCCCA All-West Region selections.
  • In 2022, Olson guided both teams to a combined three individual CCAA Championships, 13 All-CCAA selections and five outdoor and three indoor USTFCCCA All-West Region honors.
  • In 2023, the Cougars earned a combined five individual CCAA Championships, 19 All-CCAA selections, six outdoor and three indoor USTFCCCA All-West Region honorees under Olson's leadership.
  • Olson came to CSUSM after spending three seasons as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at the Academy of Art University where his teams earned 50-plus All-American honors.
  • Olson served as the head cross country coach for the previous three years at Academy of Art.
  • In addition to the Academy of Art, Olson has also worked with the University of San Francisco and Pomona-Pitzer College.
  • A graduate of Pomona College in 2009, Olson also holds an MFA from St. Mary's College (2012).

Players Mentioned

Rasha Badrani

H/S
Sophomore

Nick Melanese

D
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

Rasha Badrani

Sophomore
H/S

Nick Melanese

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
D