Rice men’s track closes NCAA West prelims run
Date Published
From Houston and the Rice University campus near Rice Village, the Owls wrapped up their 2024-25 men’s track and field season at the NCAA West Preliminary round. Rice men’s track reached one of the sport’s toughest qualifying meets, then saw its stay come to an end against a deep national field.
The NCAA West Preliminary is the gateway to the national championships, with only top finishers advancing. That makes every heat, every jump and every throw count, and it puts a sharp spotlight on how a program stacks up against the best athletes in the region.
Rice men’s track caps postseason trip
Rice entered the NCAA West Preliminary with a chance to extend its season and send athletes on to the NCAA Championships. The Owls competed through the meet but did not produce enough qualifying finishes to move on from the West site.
That result closed the book on the men’s side for Rice at this stage of the postseason. Reaching the prelims still marks a significant benchmark for the program, since only athletes who hit demanding qualifying standards earn a place in the field.
What the NCAA West prelims mean for the Owls
For a program in Houston, getting to this meet signals that Rice men’s track had athletes performing at a national qualifying level during the outdoor season. The prelim round gathers top competitors from across the western half of Division I, so even making the field reflects a strong year of work.
Rice now shifts from competition mode to offseason evaluation and preparation for next year. The immediate focus will turn to roster development, training blocks and building on the performances that carried the Owls into NCAA postseason competition in the first place.
Rice athletes who reached the regional stage gave the program a postseason presence and added another chapter to the university’s outdoor track calendar. The next major milestone for the men’s program will come with the 2025-26 season, when the Owls aim to get back into NCAA qualifying position.
This article is a summary of reporting by Rice University Athletics. Read the full story here.