UPDATE (7:30pm CT): Oregon's Matthew Maton, next on the NCAA 3k descending order list, will not be allowed to contest in the race, despite being in Birmingham as an alternate for the distance medley relay. According to the NCAA Pre-Championships Manual Section 2.4, "No additional participants will be added to the field for the championships competition after 2 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, March 8."

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According to Pat Tiernan's Sweat Mobile blog, he has announced his decision to withdraw from the NCAA 3k due to illness.



Tiernan was the #2 seed in the men's 3k with his 7:48.55, eight seconds behind Edward Cheserek's 7:40.51. Eight seconds may seem like a stretch, but Tiernan gave Cheserek quite the run this fall at the NCAA cross country championships when he took the race out hard and battled stride for stride with 'The King' for nearly the entire race.



The junior stated on earlier Sweat Mobile posts that he succumbed to the flu just days after winning both the 3k and the 5k at the Big East Championships. With a 13:31 5k personal best, Tiernan will compete for a spot on the Australian Olympic Team in three weeks in Sydney.