Preview Video | Updated Competition Schedule (PDF) | Meet Central
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Sixteen WKU representatives will travel to Tampa, Fla., this week to compete in 13 events at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field East Preliminary Round. The meet will be held at the USF Track and Field Stadium Thursday through Saturday and will be streamed by FloTrack.
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In the East Preliminaries, WKU student-athletes will compete in the first and quarterfinal rounds of their respective events. The qualifiers advancing past the quarterfinal rounds, in both the East and West Preliminaries, will compete in the semifinal and final rounds at the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 6-9 in Eugene, Ore., at Hayward Field.
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On Thursday afternoon, Desmond Mobley and Alec Tanksley will compete in the first round of the men's long jump. The first round of the men's 400-meter hurdles will begin at the same time, featuring Denzel Villaman and Maor Seged. Senior Ariel Terrell will compete in the first round of the women's 400-meter hurdles following the men's event.
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Competing for WKU in the first round of the men's 100-meter is Eli Minor. WKU is represented by Oliver Alexandre and Kymari Gates in the men's 400-meter while Juannae Lewis will compete for the Red and White in the women's event.
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Morgan McIntyre will kick off action for WKU on Friday as she competes in the first round of the women's pole vault. Jonathan Hayden will be the sole Hilltopper hurdler to represent WKU in the men's 110-meter hurdles, beginning at the same time as women's pole vault.
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The quarterfinals for the men's 100 and 400-meter dash, 400-meter hurdles and women's 400-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles will all be run on Friday evening. The first rounds of the men's and women's 200-meter dash will wrap up action for WKU on Friday, as Julius Morris will compete for the men and Lewis for the women.
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Mobley will compete once more during the Preliminaries in the first round of the men's high jump, beginning Saturday afternoon. The quarterfinals for the men's 110-meter hurdles as well as the men's and women's 200-meter dashes will be run on Saturday evening.
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WKU's quarterfinal 4x100-meter relay team will include four of the following six Hilltoppers: Will Bush, Eli Minor, Alec Tanksley, Julius Morris, Austin Hayes and Kymari Gates. WKU's 4x400-meter relay team competing in the NCAA quarterfinals also had six qualifiers for four spots including Oliver Alexandre, Eli Minor, Denzel Villaman, Kymari Gates, Charles Shimukowa and David Saruni.
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A full schedule of events and live stats for the East Preliminaries can be found here.
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"You want to be running fast, jumping far, throwing far, whatever the discipline, you want to be doing it at a high level right now," said head coach Erik Jenkins of what to expect this week. "When you go into the NCAA (Prelims) everybody's good. Those people are in the meet because they've earned the right to be there with solid performances. You've got to go in there and advance, which means you've got to go in and beat people the day of. No matter what you did throughout the season, you've got to do it that day and beat people."
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