Fayetteville Hosts 2014 NCAA West Preliminary Track and Field Events

Featured, Miscellaneous, Track & Field | May 29, 2014 by Sporting Life Arkansas | 0 Comments

Razorbacks, Red Wolves Among More Than 1,600 to Compete in 2014 NCAA West Preliminary

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas track and field teams are set to host the 2014 NCAA West Preliminary, May 29-31, at John McDonnell Field.

Here are the details for the women’s teams competing.

WEST PRELIMINARY LINKS
NCAA West Preliminary Site
Meet Schedule
Live Results
Live Broadcast (Free of charge; running events only)
Heat Sheets
Razorback T&F on Twitter

BEST OF THE WEST
Approximately 1,670 of the nation’s top athletes will compete at John McDonnell Field this week, with their sight set on qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. Among the 200 teams heading to Fayetteville are 15 of the NCAA’s top-25 ranked teams: Texas (1), Oregon (3), Texas A&M (4), Arkansas (8), Southern California (9), Stanford (10), Baylor (12), Kansas (13), Arizona (14), Texas Tech (15), Missouri (17), San Diego State (18), Boise State (19), Arizona State (21), Oklahoma (25).

20 ENTRIES FOR ARKANSAS
Arkansas enters the 2014 NCAA West Preliminary with 20 entries, the fifth-largest preliminary contingent in the nation.
Arkansas will compete in 13 events, with 20 individual qualifiers and the 4×400-relay team. The Razorbacks enter the meet with two of the top performances in the 1,500-meter (Stephanie Brown/4:11.40) and pole vault (Sandi Morris/14-9). In total, Arkansas has 12 top-10 marks in the NCAA prior to the preliminary meet.

SEC CHAMPIONS
The No. Razorbacks are on the heels of a Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championship, as head coach Lance Harter led the No. 8 Razorbacks to their first Southeastern Conference outdoor title since 2004, earning the SEC Coach of the Year honor for the fourth time in his career. Arkansas won four events en route to its SEC Title, including a 1-2-3 finish in the 5,000-meter led by Diane Robison (15:48.25) to put Arkansas in the lead heading into the final day of competition.

SEC HONORS
Coach Harter was named SEC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career, after leading his team to its first SEC Outdoor Championship in a decade. In addition, 12 athletes were named to the All-SEC team. All-SEC First Team: Grace Heymsfield, Sandi Morris, Diane Robison,Dominique Scott. All-SEC Second Team: Taylor Ellis-Watson, Daina Harper, Kirsten Hesseltine,Jessica Kamilos, Danielle Nowell, Ariel Voskamp, Chrishuna Williams, Regine Williams. SEC All-Freshman Team: Samantha Mohler.

For more information on Razorback Track and Field, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.

NCAA West Preliminary Individual Qualifiers (By Athlete)

Amethyst Boyd: Javelin
Stephanie Brown: 1,500m
Taylor Ellis-Watson: 400m, 4×4
Alex Gochenour: 100mH
Daina Harper: 400m, 4×4
Kirsten Hesseltine: High Jump
Grace Heymsfield: Steeplechase
Paige Johnston: 1,500m
Jessica Kamilos: Steeplechase
Keri McClary: 1,500m
Sandi Morris: Pole Vault
Tamara Myers: Long Jump, Triple Jump
Danielle Nowell: Pole Vault
Sandie Raines: 10,000m
Diane Robison: 5,000m
Dominique Scott: 5,000m
Ariel Voskamp: Pole Vault
Chrishuna Williams: 400m, 4×4
Regine Williams: 100m, 200m, 4×4
Megan Zimlich: Pole Vault

NCAA West Preliminary Individual Qualifiers (By Event)

100m: R. Williams
200m: R. Williams
400m: C. Williams, Ellis-Watson, Harper
1,500m: Brown, Johnston, McClary
Steeplechase: Heymsfield, Kamilos
5,000m: Scott, Robison
10,000m: Raines
100mH: Gochenour
4×400: Harper, R. Williams, C. Williams, Ellis-Watson, Swinton
High Jump: Hesseltine
Pole Vault: Morris, Nowell, Voskamp, Zimlich
Long Jump: Myers
Triple Jump: Myers
Javelin: Boyd

Here are the details on the men’s teams competing.

WEST PRELIMINARY LINKS
NCAA West Preliminary Site
Meet Schedule
Live Results
Live Broadcast (Free of charge; running events only)
Heat Sheets
Razorback T&F on Twitter

22 ENTRIES FOR ARKANSAS
The No. 4 Razorbacks are fresh off the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships, finishing runner-up with three individual titles. Arkansas heads into the NCAA West Preliminary with 22 individuals competing in 16 events, including the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. It marks the third-largest preliminary contingent in the nation. Senior Anthony May enters the meet with the top triple jump mark at 53-0.75 and the No. 3 high jump mark at 7-3.75. In total, the Razorbacks have 12 top-10 performances heading into the preliminary meet.

SEC HONORS
Omar McLeod was named Freshman Runner of the Year, finishing as runner up in the 110-meter hurdles at the SEC Championships, his first collegiate outdoor championship meet. His personal-best 110-meter hurdles time of 13.50 ranks No. 2 all-time at Arkansas and makes him the eighth-fastest 110m hurdler in the NCAA and the No. 1 freshman 110m hurdler in the SEC. Franks was named Co-Scholar-Athlete, holding a 3.93 grade point average in his Masters of Business Administration. He holds a Walton MBA Scholarship and is a Walton MBA Student Ambassador and Mentor. He earned his B.S. degree in physics and B.S. in chemistry in three years, graduating Magna Cum Laude as a member of the Interdisciplinary Fulbright College Honors Program. Franks finished third in the decathlon at the 2014 SEC Outdoor Championships, helping the Razorbacks to a runner-up finish. He was also named to the SEC Track and Field Community Service Team.

All-SEC First Team: Raymond Higgs, Stanley Kebenei
All-SEC Second Team: Nathanael Franks, Gabe Gonzalez, Jarrion Lawson, Anthony May
SEC All-Freshman Team: Omar McLeod, Larry Donald, Clive Pullen

NCAA West Preliminary Individual Razorback Qualifiers (By Athlete)

Neil Braddy: 400m, 4×4, 4×1
Larry Donald: 400H
Dwayne Golbek: High Jump
Gabe Gonzalez: 10,000m
Solomon Haile: 5,000m
Eric Hawkins: 4×1
Raymond Higgs: Long Jump, Triple Jump
Andrew Irwin: Pole Vault
Eric Janise: 400m
Stanley Kebenei: Steeplechase, 5,000m
Noah Kittelson: High Jump
Jarrion Lawson: Long Jump, 4×1, 4×4
Ken LeGassey: High Jump
Anthony May: High Jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump
Omar McLeod: 110H, 400H, 4×1
Pete Mirocke: Javelin
Andrew Pisechko: 800m
Clive Pullen: Triple Jump
Devin Randall: Shot Put, Discus
Patrick Rono: 800m
Travis Southard: 4×4
Tomas Squella: 800m

NCAA West Preliminary Individual Qualifiers (By Event)

400m: Braddy, Janise
800m: Rono, Squella, Pisechko
Steeplchase: Kebenei
5,000m: Haile, Kebenei
10,000m: Gonzalez
110H: McLeod
400H: McLeod, Donald
4×100: Hawkins, Lawson, Braddy, McLeod
4×400: Lawson, Southard, McLeod, Braddy
High Jump: May, Kittelson, LeGassey, Golbek
Pole Vault: Irwin
Long Jump: Higgs, Lawson, May
Triple Jump: May, Pullen, Higgs
Shot Put: Randall
Discus: Randall
Javelin: Mirocke

Seven members of the Arkansas State University women’s and men’s track and field teams will also be competing in Fayetteville at the 2014 NCAA West Region Preliminary Championships event.

The A-State women’s athletes to qualify for this year’s West Region Preliminaries are seniors Sharika Nelvis (100-meter hurdles and 100-meter dash) and Kristina Aubert (10,000-meter run). Seniors Justin Whitfield (100-meter dash), Kashef Daniel (high jump), and Chris Nicasio (hammer throw) along with sophomore Billy Ellis (110-meter hurdles) and freshman Roelf Pienaar (long jump) will represent the Red Wolves in men’s competition.

The NCAA West Prelims will feature 48 competitors in each individual event along with 24 relay squads, all vying for a national-qualifying spot among the top 12 in each event. Those athletes registering top 12-place marks/times along with the fastest 12 relay team times in both the West and East Region Preliminaries will advance to the 2014 NCAA-I Outdoor Championships, which will take place June 11-14 at the University of Oregon’s historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

A-State’s 2014 NCAA West Prelims Schedule

Thursday, May 29

Long Jump – Roelf Pienaar (First Round – 6:30 p.m.)

100-Meter Dash – Justin Whitfield (First Round – 6:30 p.m.)

100-Meter Dash – Sharika Nelvis (First Round – 6:55 p.m.)

10,000-Meter Run – Kristina Aubert (Semifinal Round – 9:40 p.m.)

Friday, May 30

Hammer Throw – Chris Nicasio (First Round – 10 a.m.)

High Jump – Kashef Daniel (First Round – 5 p.m.)

110-Meter Hurdles – Billy Ellis (First Round – 5 p.m.)

100-Meter Hurdles – Sharika Nelvis (First Round – 5:30 p.m.)

100-Meter Dash – (Quarterfinal Round – Men-6:30 p.m., Women-6:45 p.m.)