UNI To Send 17 To NCAA T&F West Preliminary Round

UNI To Send 17 To NCAA T&F West Preliminary Round

5/18/2017 2:25:00 PM | Track and Field

AUSTIN, Texas – The 2017 NCAA Division I Track and Field West Preliminary Round announced its list of qualifiers today with the Panthers landing 17 student-athletes in 12 events between the men's and women's programs.

The NCAA West Preliminary Round will take place May 25-27 in Austin, Texas, hosted by the University of Texas. Athletes who rank among the top-48 in their respective events earn berths into the NCAA West regional with the top-12 in each event advancing to the 2017 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. on June 7-10.

Brandon Carnes will make his fourth straight appearance at the NCAA West meet, competing in the 100 and 200 meters. He currently leads the region and is ranked No. 2 in the country in the 100 meter dash after the MVC Outdoor Championships, running a time of 9.97.

The Panther men's program will continue the meet in the 110 meter hurdles with Jon Rus, Daurice Fountain and Cole Phillips all heading to Austin. Jacob Smith joins the hurdles crew in his first appearance at the NCAA West prelims, earning a spot in the 400 meter hurdles. Rus ranks No. 15 in the region in the 110 meter hurdles while Smith is No. 28 in the 400 hurdles.

On the women's side on the track, Lindsey Kite and Lyndsie Schinkel will both take on the 800 meters, joined by the trio of Colynn Black, Luke Johnston and Jordan Pingel for the men who will run in the event. Kite is coming off the MVC Championships where she won the 800 meter run with Schinkel earning all-conference honors in third.

In the field, UNI will travel three Panther women in Hope Koerperich, Sarah Pate and Kassidy Sharp. Pate, who earned all-conference in the hammer throw, currently ranks No. 12 in the NCAA West in the event while Sharp is fresh off an MVC win in the high jump where she jumped a new PR of 5-9.25.

For the men, Brad Walski, Isaac Holtz, Evan Colfack and Thomas Yezek will all compete in the throws competition, with Walski going for the trifecta in the shot put, discus and hammer throw. The senior won the shot put and earned All-MVC in the discus and hammer throw at the MVC Outdoor Championships, ranking in the top-35 in the West in all three events.

Holtz defended his MVC title in the discus this past weekend, winning the event and ranking himself No. 9 in the NCAA West region while both Colfack and Yezek posted huge personal-bests at the conference meet to launch them into the top-35 in the event.

The meet beings on Thursday, May 25 at Mike A. Meyers Stadium in Austin. For more information on the meet, tickets and TV information, visit the NCAA West Preliminary Round Central Page.