JONESBORO, Ark. (5/16/13) – The Arkansas State University outdoor track and field teams will have a combined school-record 11 athletes participating in 12 events at the upcoming 2013 NCAA Division I West Preliminary Championships, which are slated for May 23-25 at the University of Texas' Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.
Those qualifying for the regional competition from A-State are junior Kristina Aubert (10,000-meter run), junior Sharika Nelvis (100-meter hurdles and long jump), senior Stephanie Foreman (pole vault), senior Jamie Curry (triple jump), and senior Julia Agawu (discus) for the women's team. On the men's side, junior Joey Meyer (200-meter dash), senior Solomon Williams (110-meter hurdles and triple jump), senior Lucas Bateman (110-meter hurdles), junior Kashef Daniel (high jump), junior Chris Nicasio (hammer throw), and junior Richard Chavez (shot put) will be representing the Red Wolves.
"We are proud of those who qualified for the NCAA first-round competition," said A-State head coach Jim Patchell. "We are taking 11 athletes which is the most ASU has ever sent to the first round. This group has consistently shown a willingness to do what it takes to be one of the best in the country in their events and we have a very good chance of several moving on to the next round in Eugene (Oregon)."
To be eligible for the preliminaries, an athlete must ranked among the top 48 in their respective event(s). Those athletes registering the top 12 times/marks along with the best 12 relay teams will qualify for the 2013 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships to be held June 5-8 at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore.
Foreman will be making her fourth appearance in the West Prelims Championships while Nelvis, Agawu, and Williams are set for their third consecutive trip to regionals. All four placed first in their respective events at this last weekend's (May 10-12) Sun Belt Conference (SBC) Championships in Miramar, Fla., as both the A-State men's and women's teams finished second-place with 131 points. The four all received first-team All-SBC recognition while Nelvis and Williams were selected as the conference meet's most outstanding women's track performer and most outstanding men's field performer, respectively.
A season ago, Arkansas State had eight athletes (six men and two women) take part in the 2012 NCAA-I West Preliminaries (May 24-26) in Austin, Texas. Six of those 2012 participants are returning to compete this spring – Joey Meyer, Solomon Williams, Richard Chavez, Chris Nicasio, Sharika Nelvis, and Julia Agawu. Nelvis was the lone Red Wolves' athlete to earn a trip to the 2012 NCAA-I Championships as the 2012 United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Outdoor Track Second-Team All-America performer qualified for both the 100-meter dash and 100-meter hurdles events.
Information for the 2013 West Preliminary Championships can be accessed by clicking on this link - 2013 NCAA West Regional Meet Information.
Arkansas State's NCAA Qualifiers
Name – Event – West seed – Qualifying mark (meet)
Women
Kristina Aubert – 10,000m Run – 31st West (81st nationally) - 34:53.51 (Stanford Invite)
Sharika Nelvis – 100m Hurdles – 6th West (10thT nationally) - 13.08 (SBC Championships); Long Jump – 7th West (10th nationally) - 20-11.96/6.40m (SBC Championships)
Stephanie Foreman – Pole Vault – 11th West (17th nationally) - 13-08.17/4.17m (SBC Championships)
Jamie Curry – Triple Jump – 35th West (95th nationally) - 40-09.3712.43m (Ole Miss Invite)
Julia Agawu – Discus – 14th West (17th nationally) - 179-01.21/54.59m (SBC Championships)
Men
Joey Meyer – 200m Dash – 18th West (70thT nationally) - 20.97 (SBC Championships)
Solomon Williams – 110m Hurdles – 14th West (31stT nationally) - 13.88 (SBC Championships); Triple Jump – 13th West (24thT nationally) - 51-06.50/15.71m (SBC Championships)
Lucas Bateman – 110m Hurdles – 39th West (119thT nationally) - 14.31 (SBC Championships)
Kashef Daniel – High Jump – 31st West (64thT nationally) - 6-11.46/2.12m (Vanderbilt Invite)
Richard Chavez – Shot Put – 12th West (24thT nationally) - 60-03.23/18.37m (Red Wolves Open)
Chris Nicasio – Hammer – 15th West (30th nationally) - 205-08.50/62.70m (SEMO Joey Haines Invite)
