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NCAA West Preliminary Rounds
Aggies travel to Austin for NCAA West Preliminary rounds
May 23, 2017 | Track and Field
AUSTIN – A key agenda item for Texas A&M athletes during the NCAA West Preliminary rounds this weekend at Myers Stadium will focus on a single goal – advancing through the rounds and qualifying among the top 12 to secure a place in the NCAA Championships field, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon, in June.
Among its 52 entries, which is evenly divided by 26 for the No. 1 Aggie men and 26 for the No. 5 Aggie women, Texas A&M has 29 entrants (13 men, 16 women) who are seeded among the top 12 amid the NCAA West region heading into action this weekend in the preliminary rounds.
"When you go to the national meet, it's about everybody," said Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry. "All of our relays need to do well along with our individuals. Everybody who qualified for the NCAA West is important for us. There is no room for error, there really isn't. You cannot error and be successful at the track and field championships.
"This is about advancement and qualifying to the next round. We're advancing from the first and second round to the national championship."
The Aggies currently have a pair of world leaders heading into the NCAA West meet, with Fred Kerley in the 400 and the 4x400 relay, and have a collegiate leader with Ioannis Kyriazis in the javelin.
Another Texas A&M world leader, Lindon Victor in the decathlon, has already qualified for the NCAA Championship weekend as his score of 8,539 points headlines the field of 24 decathletes.
Kerley ran 44.09 during the SEC Championships, recording the second fastest collegiate time ever, and was part of the Texas A&M 4x400 that has posted three world leading times this outdoor season at 3:01.74 (Texas Relays), 3:00.74 (SEC Relays) and 3:00.72 (SEC Championships).
Kerley is also part of the Aggie 4x100, which ranks fourth in the region with a season best of 39.12, and includes Eljah Morrow (20.52w) and Jace Comick (10.39w), who will contest the 200m and 100m.
Kryiazis has thrown the javelin only twice in competition this season, winning the Texas Relays at Myers Stadium in late March with a meet record of 288-9 (88.01), the second best throw in collegiate history, and claiming his third SEC title with a meet record of 262-11 (80.15). Two Aggies join Kyriazis in the javelin field with Sam Hardin (240-9 |73.38) and William Petersson (225-4 | 68.69).
Also participating in the Aggie 4x400 this season has been the combination of Mylik Kerley, Devin Dixon, Robert Grant, and Richard Rose. All four are qualified in individual events as well with Mylik Kerley (45.48) and Rose (46.22) joining Fred Kerley in the 400.
Grant recorded a career best of 49.15 in the 400m hurdles, just a tenth of a second off the Texas A&M school record, in placing third at the SEC Championships. Grant ranks fourth among collegians and is ranked second in the West region behind SEC Champion Kemar Mowatt of Arkansas. Another Aggie in the 400m hurdle field is Ilolo Izu (51.11).
Dixon is among three freshman who lead the West in the 800m with his 1:45.71 victory in the SEC Championships. The other two frosh compete for UTEP, Emmanuel Korir (1:43.73) and Michael Saruni (1:45.82). Joining Dixon in the 800m is teammate JaQwae Ellison (1:48.97).
SEC pole vault champion Audie Wyatt ranks second best in the nation this season with his school record vault of 18-8 ¼ (5.70). He is joined by teammates Carl Johansson (17-5 ½ | 5.32) and Jacob Wooten (17-3 |5.26). The national leader and NCAA Indoor champion, South Dakota's Chris Nilsen (18-9 ½ | 5.73) is also in the NCAA West.
Texas A&M women rank second best among West entries in three events with Jazmine Fray in the 800m, Audrey Malone in the javelin and the 4x 100 relay.
Fray, who broke the indoor collegiate record in the 800m, has clocked a school record of 2:01.43 outdoors and recently ran 2:02.00 to complete her sweep of SEC titles this season. Also running in the 800m for the Aggies is Katie Willard (2:07.70).
Malone, who placed third in the 2016 NCAA javelin final with a career best of 187-2 (57.06), has a season best of 181-8 (55.37). She is joined by three teammates who rank among the top eight in the West region. They include Madalaine Stulce, who improved her career best by 11 feet to place fourth in the SEC Championships with a 181-5 (55.31), Shelby Poncik (171-9 | 52.36) and Kristen Clark (171-7 | 52.31).
Texas A&M's 4x100 unit posted its season best time of 42.82 in winning the Texas Relays title back in March. The line-up of the squad that placed second in the SEC Championships with a 43.31 included Diamond Spaulding, Jaevin Reed, Brenessa Thompson and Aaliyah Brown.
Thompson leads the Aggie sprinters in the 100m and 200m with season best times of 11.15w and 22.59w as Brown follows in both events with 11.21w and 22.68w marks while Spaulding is in the 200m field with a 22.77w.
Fray is also part of the Aggie 4x400 relay that ranks third in the West region with a 3:27.72. Joining her on the relay are Reed (52.18), Briyahna Desrosiers (52.28) and Kadecia Baird (53.15), a trio who have each qualified in the 400m.
Texas A&M also has another six field event athletes who rank among the top 12 in the West region among their respective events. They include Serena Brown (186-6 | 56.84) in the discus, Alison Ondrusek (208-0 | 63.41) in the hammer, Will Williams (26-2 ¾w | 7.99) in the long jump, Jeffrey Prothro (53-5w | 16.28) in the triple jump, Jeff Bartlett (192-5 | 58.65) in the discus and Garrett Cragin (7-1 ¼ | 2.18) in the high jump.
Alex Riba will contest the 1,500 (3:46.36) and 5,000 (13:59.06) for the Aggies while Austin Wells runs in the 10,000 (29:35.93).
Infinite Tucker competes in the 110m hurdles (14.10) for the Texas A&M men while on the women's side Chinyere Njoku (13.47w) in the 100m hurdles and Lauren Lawless (59.34) is in the 400m hurdles.
Also contesting field events for the Aggies are Lajarvia Brown (43-0 ¼w|13.11) in the triple jump, Austin Cook (209-4 | 63.82) in the hammer, Carissa van Beek (194-5 | 59.26) in the women's hammer, Kara Erickson (5-8 ¾ | 1.75) in the high jump along with the pole vault trio of Emily Gunderson (13-4 ¼ | 4.07), Augusta Thomason (13-4 ¼ |4.07) and Sara Kathryn Stevens (13-3 ¾ | 4.06).
Among its 52 entries, which is evenly divided by 26 for the No. 1 Aggie men and 26 for the No. 5 Aggie women, Texas A&M has 29 entrants (13 men, 16 women) who are seeded among the top 12 amid the NCAA West region heading into action this weekend in the preliminary rounds.
"When you go to the national meet, it's about everybody," said Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry. "All of our relays need to do well along with our individuals. Everybody who qualified for the NCAA West is important for us. There is no room for error, there really isn't. You cannot error and be successful at the track and field championships.
"This is about advancement and qualifying to the next round. We're advancing from the first and second round to the national championship."
The Aggies currently have a pair of world leaders heading into the NCAA West meet, with Fred Kerley in the 400 and the 4x400 relay, and have a collegiate leader with Ioannis Kyriazis in the javelin.
Another Texas A&M world leader, Lindon Victor in the decathlon, has already qualified for the NCAA Championship weekend as his score of 8,539 points headlines the field of 24 decathletes.
Kerley ran 44.09 during the SEC Championships, recording the second fastest collegiate time ever, and was part of the Texas A&M 4x400 that has posted three world leading times this outdoor season at 3:01.74 (Texas Relays), 3:00.74 (SEC Relays) and 3:00.72 (SEC Championships).
Kerley is also part of the Aggie 4x100, which ranks fourth in the region with a season best of 39.12, and includes Eljah Morrow (20.52w) and Jace Comick (10.39w), who will contest the 200m and 100m.
Kryiazis has thrown the javelin only twice in competition this season, winning the Texas Relays at Myers Stadium in late March with a meet record of 288-9 (88.01), the second best throw in collegiate history, and claiming his third SEC title with a meet record of 262-11 (80.15). Two Aggies join Kyriazis in the javelin field with Sam Hardin (240-9 |73.38) and William Petersson (225-4 | 68.69).
Also participating in the Aggie 4x400 this season has been the combination of Mylik Kerley, Devin Dixon, Robert Grant, and Richard Rose. All four are qualified in individual events as well with Mylik Kerley (45.48) and Rose (46.22) joining Fred Kerley in the 400.
Grant recorded a career best of 49.15 in the 400m hurdles, just a tenth of a second off the Texas A&M school record, in placing third at the SEC Championships. Grant ranks fourth among collegians and is ranked second in the West region behind SEC Champion Kemar Mowatt of Arkansas. Another Aggie in the 400m hurdle field is Ilolo Izu (51.11).
Dixon is among three freshman who lead the West in the 800m with his 1:45.71 victory in the SEC Championships. The other two frosh compete for UTEP, Emmanuel Korir (1:43.73) and Michael Saruni (1:45.82). Joining Dixon in the 800m is teammate JaQwae Ellison (1:48.97).
SEC pole vault champion Audie Wyatt ranks second best in the nation this season with his school record vault of 18-8 ¼ (5.70). He is joined by teammates Carl Johansson (17-5 ½ | 5.32) and Jacob Wooten (17-3 |5.26). The national leader and NCAA Indoor champion, South Dakota's Chris Nilsen (18-9 ½ | 5.73) is also in the NCAA West.
Texas A&M women rank second best among West entries in three events with Jazmine Fray in the 800m, Audrey Malone in the javelin and the 4x 100 relay.
Fray, who broke the indoor collegiate record in the 800m, has clocked a school record of 2:01.43 outdoors and recently ran 2:02.00 to complete her sweep of SEC titles this season. Also running in the 800m for the Aggies is Katie Willard (2:07.70).
Malone, who placed third in the 2016 NCAA javelin final with a career best of 187-2 (57.06), has a season best of 181-8 (55.37). She is joined by three teammates who rank among the top eight in the West region. They include Madalaine Stulce, who improved her career best by 11 feet to place fourth in the SEC Championships with a 181-5 (55.31), Shelby Poncik (171-9 | 52.36) and Kristen Clark (171-7 | 52.31).
Texas A&M's 4x100 unit posted its season best time of 42.82 in winning the Texas Relays title back in March. The line-up of the squad that placed second in the SEC Championships with a 43.31 included Diamond Spaulding, Jaevin Reed, Brenessa Thompson and Aaliyah Brown.
Thompson leads the Aggie sprinters in the 100m and 200m with season best times of 11.15w and 22.59w as Brown follows in both events with 11.21w and 22.68w marks while Spaulding is in the 200m field with a 22.77w.
Fray is also part of the Aggie 4x400 relay that ranks third in the West region with a 3:27.72. Joining her on the relay are Reed (52.18), Briyahna Desrosiers (52.28) and Kadecia Baird (53.15), a trio who have each qualified in the 400m.
Texas A&M also has another six field event athletes who rank among the top 12 in the West region among their respective events. They include Serena Brown (186-6 | 56.84) in the discus, Alison Ondrusek (208-0 | 63.41) in the hammer, Will Williams (26-2 ¾w | 7.99) in the long jump, Jeffrey Prothro (53-5w | 16.28) in the triple jump, Jeff Bartlett (192-5 | 58.65) in the discus and Garrett Cragin (7-1 ¼ | 2.18) in the high jump.
Alex Riba will contest the 1,500 (3:46.36) and 5,000 (13:59.06) for the Aggies while Austin Wells runs in the 10,000 (29:35.93).
Infinite Tucker competes in the 110m hurdles (14.10) for the Texas A&M men while on the women's side Chinyere Njoku (13.47w) in the 100m hurdles and Lauren Lawless (59.34) is in the 400m hurdles.
Also contesting field events for the Aggies are Lajarvia Brown (43-0 ¼w|13.11) in the triple jump, Austin Cook (209-4 | 63.82) in the hammer, Carissa van Beek (194-5 | 59.26) in the women's hammer, Kara Erickson (5-8 ¾ | 1.75) in the high jump along with the pole vault trio of Emily Gunderson (13-4 ¼ | 4.07), Augusta Thomason (13-4 ¼ |4.07) and Sara Kathryn Stevens (13-3 ¾ | 4.06).
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