SALT LAKE CITY—Aiden Urban will be running in the 800 meters at the NCAA Division II National Championships in Allendale, Mich., at the Grand Valley Track & Field Stadium, on May 27-29.
 
A total of 566 participants, 283 men and 283 women, will compete in the championships. Student-athletes qualified for the championships by reaching the automatic and provisional standards established for each event. The complete list of qualifiers is available at https://results.leonetiming.com/?mid=2251. Heat sheets will be available at this same website by Monday, May 24.
 
"Making it to nationals is what I've trained and been devoted to the past four years, and the selection of making it into the top 13 didn't hit me until about two hours after the qualifying race," Urban shared.  "I realized just how big of a deal it was, so naturally I did some fist pumps."
 
Urban is Westminster's first track and field student-athlete to qualify for the national championships. He recorded his third career NCAA Division II provisional time in the final event of the season. He finished first at the BYU Cougar Invitational (May 14-15) with a Westminster record setting time of 1:50.51. His adjusted time, for altitude, of 1:49.97 was 13^th in the nation and earned Urban the final spot in the 800-meter group.
 
"I had run provisional times both junior and senior year for the indoor season yet missed out on the national selection by one single spot. I have felt that pain of wondering if just one more tenth of second would've qualified me, so this year I wasn't about to let it just slip away."
 
As individual as running may seem, qualifying was a team effort. Urban was joined by six teammates who helped pushed him in the race. Thomas Maxfield set the pace for the first 400 meters and Tony Nickerson was on Urban's heels until the very end finishing a second behind him.
 
"Once we hit the start line, my head went numb, and I knew to trust Thomas and he hit it perfect. With 100m left in the race, I knew it was either end my season here, or make that push for nationals."
 
"Tony was immediately behind me and had an absolutely phenomenal race. He has been my training partner, my greatest threat, and my best friend. He is the fiercest competitor I have ever competed against and there is no doubt in my mind he pushed me to run faster than ever before."
 
Urban is the holder of three program records and 16 top-10 times in indoor and outdoor track. He set the outdoor 400-meter (48.53) and the 800 meter (1:50.51) this season. He holds the second and ninth times in the 400, and the third, fifth and 10^th in the 800. During the indoor season, Urban set the 800-meter record (1:53.35) and is holder of the third, fifth, seventh and eight times in the 800, third sixth and 10^th in the 400, and sixth time in the 500.
 
Urban is a three-time medalist at the RMAC Championships. This season was his first outdoor track & field podium finish. He finished third in the indoor 800 meters in back-to-back seasons (2019-20, 2020-21). He earned All-RMAC First Team selection for each of his podium finishes.
 
Urban has made the All-Academic Honor Roll seven times in three sports—cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track and field.