University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Competes At NCAA East Preliminary Championships
May 27, 2015 | Track & Field
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Carolina track and field teams will compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminary Championships starting on Thursday, May 28. The Tar Heels sent 24 individuals and one relay team to Jacksonville, Florida – the sight of the championships – and hope to send as many as they can to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
“We're very excited to bring this contingency of athletes down here representing the University,” head coach Harlis Meaders said. “The majority of those kids performed really well at the conference meet and they are prepared to take the next step to get to Eugene. I'm really excited about the potential we have for the women's team and the men's team. We've been here before and we know what to expect.
“I think if most of them will duplicate what they've already done, they will advance. The key to this competition is not letting the event be bigger than you and what you are capable of doing. Everything else will take care of itself.”
Qualifying to the final championships competition in Eugene, Ore., is accomplished through performance in the preliminary championships competition. 12 competitors from each individual event and 12 teams from each relay event advance from the East Preliminary Championships.
UNC QUALIFIERS
Lizzy Whelan, Jr., 800 – Whelan has had an incredible year. She started the year as a starter on the cross country team in the fall and broke the school record in the 800 in the winter. Whelan set a career best 2:03.76 in the event at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships two weeks ago. She ranks fifth in the east in the event coming in.
Lianne Farber Sr., 1,500 & 5,000 – Farber is in her last season of her historic college career. Farber has been an anchor for the women's distance team for years and has started to peak late in the outdoor season. Farber set two career bests this year, 4:13.16 in the 1,500 and 16:05.90 in the 5,000, both set at the Stanford Invitational. She ranks fourth in the 1,500 and 12th in the 5,000 in the East.
Karley Rempel, Jr., 1,500 – Rempel set a career best in the 1,500 at the Virginia Challenge in mid-April. Rempel nearly duplicated her time at the conference championships and has returned to the NCAA East Preliminary Championships for the second year in a row for the 1,500. Rempel finished 45th in the meet last year, but is ranked 19th this year heading in.
Stella Radford, Fr., 3,000 Steeplechase – Radford, a freshman from Melbourne, Australia, set a huge personal best in the steeplechase at the conference championships. Radford ran 10:14.61 in the event to take fourth at the conference championships. She comes into the East Preliminary Championships ranked 26th.
Hannah Christen, Fr., 3,000 Steeplechase – Christen, also a freshman, took the last qualifying spot in the steeplechase for the East Preliminary Championships. Christen ran 10:29.48 in the event at the Duke Twilight.
Annie LeHardy, Sr., 5,000 – LeHardy has transitioned her amazing cross country season to a fantastic track season. She's been an incredible versatile runner for the Tar Heels. She qualified to run the 1,500 but will only compete in the 5,000, an event where she set a career best 15:52.65 at the Stanford Invitational. LeHardy will try to qualify for Eugene ranking seventh in the East in the 5,000.
Caroline Alcorta, Fr., 5,000 – The third freshman distance runner on the list so far, Alcorta has lived up to her hype as being one of the best recruits in her class. Alcorta ran 16:13.09 in the 5,000 at the Stanford Invitational and ranks 21st in the East, a great race could get her to the NCAA Championships in Eugene.
Cori Floyd, Sr., 400-Meter Hurdles – Floyd has peaked at the right time of her career. She set two personal bests in the 400-meter hurdles at the conference championships, the last being 58.31. Floyd ranks 22nd in the East heading into the Preliminary Championships.
Xenia Rahn, Sr., 100-Meter Hurdles & High Jump & Long Jump – Rahn has been an integral part of the women's team this year. A multi-athlete, Rahn has excelled in several events throughout the year and has already qualified for the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon, ranking third overall in the nation. Rahn qualified for the three events with career bests in each one. She ranks 44th in the 100-meter hurdles at 13.58. She ranks 24th in the high jump at 1.78 meters, and ninth in the East in the long jump at 6.35 meters.
Emily Godwin, So., High Jump – Godwin, another multi-athlete, will compete in the high jump, her best event of the seven she competes in. She set a career best at 1.78 meters at the conference championships and ranks 24th in the East.
Cameron Overstreet, Sr., Pole Vault – Overstreet is looking to go to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the second time in her career. She went to Eugene when she took the final qualifying spot in the East with a jump off. She set a season-best mark of 4.15 meters at the Duke Twilight, but broke the school indoor record earlier this year at 4.24 meters. Her height of 4,15 meters in the outdoor season ranks 18th in the East.
Sarah Howard, Jr., Shot Put – Howard has been an elite athlete in the shot put for the last two years. She made it to the NCAA Championships last year placing 18th overall in the event and comes into this year's East Preliminary Championships with a new career best at 16.99 meters and ranks sixth in the East.
Avana Story, Jr., Hammer – Story's signature event has gotten her to the NCAA East Preliminary Championships each year she's been at UNC. Story threw 57.87 meters in the event at the Virginia Challenge and will look to better her career best of 58.76 meters at the East Preliminary Championships.
Ceo Ways, So., 200 & 400 & 4x400 – Ways is versatile sprinter running the 200 and 400 well for the Tar Heels. Neither time of 20.63 or 46.23 in the 200 and 400, respectively, are career bests, but Ways split 44.70 in the team's 4x400 ACC Championship race. Ways will anchor that unit at the East Preliminary Championships where he ranks 10th in the 200 and 15th in the 400.
O'Neal Wanliss, Sr., 800 – Wanliss ran 1:49.29 in the 800 at the Duke Twilight earlier this year. He owns a PR of 1:48.28 in the event and ranks 40th in the event in the East this year, but a career-best performance could get him to Eugene.
Ryan Walling, Sr., 1,500 & 5,000 – Walling, like Farber, will compete in both the 1,500 and 5,000. In his last year at Carolina, Walling set a career best in the 1,500 at 3:45.71 in the outdoor season and a career best in the 5,000 at 14:01.49 in the indoor season. His season best time of 14:07.90 in the 5,000 ranks 37th in the east and his time in the 1,500 ranks 44th.
Mark Derrick, Jr., 5,000 – Derrick has had a breakout year setting four career bests ranging from the indoor season. Derrick's time of 14:07.72 ranks 36th in the 5,000.
John Raneri, Sr., 10,000 – Raneri posted a career best 29:16.23 in the longest NCAA race. Raneri posted that time at the Stanford Invitational and ranks 13th in the East.
Roy Smith, Sr., 110-Meter Hurdles – Smith ran 13.97 in the event at the conference championships and will look to make it to Eugene for the first time in his career ranking 23rd in the East.
Kenny Selmon, Fr., 400-Meter Hurdles & 4x400 – Selmon broke through the 50.00 barrier in the event at the conference championships. He finished second overall with at time of 49.60 and ranks fifth in the East.
Javonte Lipsey, Jr., 400-Meter Hurdles & 4x400 – Lipsey was on pace to win the ACC Championship in the 400-meter hurdles but hit the tenth hurdle and stumbled across the line taking third overall. He still came in at 49.65 and ranks seventh in the East.
RJ Alowonle, Jr., 400-Meter Hurdles & 4x400 – Alowonle set a career best in the event at the ACC Championships running 50.02. Alowonle placed fifth in the nation at the NCAA Championships last year and hopes to be there again this year. He ranks ninth in the East.
AJ Hicks, Jr., Discus & Hammer – Hicks set career bests in both events this outdoor season. Hicks threw 55.18 meters in the discus to rank 29th and threw 65.45 meters in the hammer to rank 16th.
Houston Summers, Jr., Javelin – Summers ranks 26th in the event at 67.55 meters, but owns a career best of 67.79 meters in the event. Summers set his season best mark at the ACC Championships and will look to further his mark at the East Preliminary Championships.
A recap of performances and results will be available on Goheels.com following the conclusion of each day of competition. Live results can be found here and for instant updates follow @UNCTrack_Field on Twitter.
Players Mentioned
