North Carolina
NCAA East Preliminary Round Day 1
Tar Heels Begin NCAA Competition Thursday
May 23, 2018 | Track & Field
*Due to anticipated inclement weather, the NCAA East Preliminary Round schedule has received major changes. The following release has been updated to reflect accurate times of competition*
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of North Carolina track & field teams will compete in the NCAA East Preliminary Round on the campus of the University of South Florida at the USF Track & Field Stadium beginning Thursday through Sunday May 26. The 19 individuals and three relays qualified from the Carolina teams will compete looking to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The top-12 finishers from each event's field of 48 will move on to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 6-9.
The meet begins Thursday at 8:45 a.m. with junior Zay Paschall in the men's long jump (3:30 p.m.) and freshman Anna Keefer and senior Alexis Gannon in the women's long jump (6:30 p.m.) representing Carolina in the field events.Â
On the track, three-time All-America performer in the men's 400-meter hurdles, senior Kenny Selmon kicks things off for the Tar Heels in the first round of the event at 12:30 p.m. Also competing in first-round competition on Thursday are senior Natisha Dixon in the women's 400-meter hurdles (1 p.m.), redshirt-freshman Alex Milligan in the men's 1,500 meters (1:30 p.m.), sophomore Brianna Duncan in the women's 100 meters (2:55 p.m.), freshman Isaiah Palmer in the men's 400 meters (3:20 p.m.), senior Cierra Dunston in the women's 400 meters (3:45 p.m.) and senior Blake Dodge in the women's 800 meters (4:35 p.m.). Senior Caroline Alcorta will race in the NCAA semifinal of the women's 10,000 meters at 9:40 p.m.
The meet will resume Friday at 8:45 a.m. with the men's discus, featuring Carolina sophomore Daniel McArthur. On the track, Tar Heels in first-round action will be senior Natisha Dixon in the women's 100-meter hurdles (1 p.m.), senior Brandon Reddick in the men's 200 meters (3:30 p.m.) and sophomore Brianna Duncan in the women's 200 meters (3:55 p.m.).Â
Contingent on advancing from the first round, Tar Heels competing in quarterfinal action on the track Friday looking to punch their tickets to Eugene will be competing in the 400 meters, women's 100 meters, women's 800 meters and the 400-meter hurdles.
The final day of the east prelims will resume Saturday at 8:45 a.m. Tar Heels in the field events looking to go to the NCAA Championships will be freshman Jill Shippee and redshirt-junior Alex Cooke in the women's hammer throw (8:45 a.m.), redshirt-sophomore Jared Martin in the men's javelin (1:30 p.m.), redshirt-sophomore Draven Crist in the men's high jump (2 p.m.), freshman Peighton Simmons in the women's triple jump (12:30 p.m.), junior Zay Paschall in the men's triple jump (3:30 p.m.) and sophomore Daniel McArthur in the men's shot put (5:30 p.m.)
On the track, the women's 4x100 will hit the track at 12:30 p.m. and then quarterfinals of the 1,500 meters, women's 100-meter hurdles and 200 meters will take place with the potential for Tar Heels to advance to Eugene. Senior Caroline Alcorta and junior Morgan Ilse will race in the NCAA semifinals of the women's 5,000 at 8:45 p.m. The evening will close with the men's and women's 4x400 relays – men at 3:55 p.m. and women at 4:15 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Subscribers to FloTrack Pro will be able to live stream the NCAA East Preliminary Round in its entirety with a monthly subscription.
Link to sign up and watch: https://bit.ly/2IMww77
Live results for the entire weekend will be available courtesy of FlashResults.com.
Live Results Link: https://on.ncaa.com/2rPoErR
A full schedule of events, heat sheets and a link to live results are also available at GoHeels.com.
Fans can follow @unctrack_field on Twitter and Instagram for live updates throughout the meet. UNC Track & Field is also on Facebook. A recap of performances and results will be posted on GoHeels.com following the conclusion of each day of competition.
TAR HEEL PARTICIPANTS
Men
Draven Crist – High Jump
Crist, a redshirt-sophomore from Burlington, N.C., has qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary round for the first time in his career. He jumped an outdoor personal best 6-11 ½ (2.12 meters) at the Duke Invitational on April 21 and is seeded 42nd this weekend.
WHEN TO WATCH
Saturday, 2 p.m. (First Round)
Jared Martin – Javelin
Martin, a redshirt-sophomore from Greensboro, N.C., earned first-team All-ACC honors in the javelin after taking second at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a lifetime-best throw of 220-10 (67.31 meters). Martin has only been throwing javelin for just two years after originally coming to Carolina as a swimmer. He is seeded 23rd in his first trip to the NCAA East prelims.
WHEN TO WATCH
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. (First Round)
Daniel McArthur – Discus, Shot Put
McArthur, a sophomore from Mooresville, N.C., is making his second trip the East Prelims. He currently ranks top three in UNC history in both the outdoor shot put and discus. He is seeded 18th in the discus with his personal-best throw of 184-1 (56.10 meters) from the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational on April 14, and he is seeded 25th in the shot put with a throw of 60-1 ¾ (18.33 meters).
WHEN TO WATCH
Discus – Friday, 8:45 a.m. (First Round)
Shot Put – Saturday, 5:30 p.m. (First Round)
Alex Milligan – 1,500 meters
Milligan, a redshirt-freshman from State College, Pa., has qualified for the East Preliminary Round for the first time. At the ACC Championships, he took seventh in the 1,500 meters. Milligan is seeded 29th this weekend with a personal-best time of 3:44.69.
WHEN TO WATCH
Thursday, 1:30 p.m. (First Round)
Saturday, 1 p.m. (Quarterfinal – if qualified)
Isaiah Palmer – 400 meters
Palmer, a freshman from Plano, Texas, took third in the 400 meters at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships after running a lifetime-best 46.55. He is seeded 25th in the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
WHEN TO WATCH
Thursday, 3:20 p.m. (First Round)
Friday, 1:30 p.m. (Quarterfinal – if qualified)
Zay Paschall – Long Jump, Triple Jump
Paschall, a junior from Harrisburg, Pa., is making his second-career trip to the east prelims to compete in the long jump, but is competing in the triple jump for the first time. He is ranked 36th in the triple jump thanks to his personal-best 50-7 ½ (15.43 meters) he jumped at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational on April 14, and he is ranked 42nd in the long jump at 24-7 ¾ (7.51 meters).
WHEN TO WATCH
Long Jump – Thursday, 3:30 p.m. (First Round)
Triple Jump – Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (First Round)
Brandon Reddick – 200 meters
Reddick, a senior from Orlando, Fla., has qualified for the NCAA east prelims for the first time in his career after running a lifetime-best 20.87 in the 200 meters to earn second-team All-ACC honors at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He is seeded 40th in the event this weekend.
WHEN TO WATCH
Friday, 3:30 p.m. (First Round)
Saturday, 2:05 p.m. (Quarterfinal – if qualified)
Kenny Selmon – 400-meter hurdles
Selmon, a senior from Mableton, Ga., is a three-time All-America performer in the 400-meter hurdles and just captured back-to-back ACC titles in the event. Last year, he took fourth at the NCAA Championships with a school-record time of 48.60. Selmon is ranked first in the east and second in the country at 48.98.
WHEN TO WATCH
Thursday, 12:30 p.m. (First Round)
Friday, 3 p.m. (Quarterfinal – if qualified)
4x400-meter relay
Carolina is sending a men's 4x400 team to the NCAA East Preliminary Round for the ninth-straight season. The Tar Heels captured the ACC title in the event for the fifth time in six seasons with a time of 3:07.66 from Brandon Cachon, Isaiah Palmer, Cory Nicholls and Kenny Selmon. The team's best time this season of 3:07.03 from Jadon Johnson, Palmer, Cachon and Selmon gives them the 14th seed in the east prelims.
WHEN TO WATCH
Saturday, 3:55 p.m. (Quarterfinal)
Women
Caroline Alcorta – 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters
Alcorta, a senior from Springfield, Va., is making her third trip to the NCAA East Preliminary Round, She will be competing in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters, and she is seeded 11th in both events. She ran a lifetime-best 16:01.59 in the 5,000m at the Virginia Challenge on April 21 and ran the second-best time in UNC history in the 10,000m with a 33:54.23 at the Raleigh Relays on March 30 in her first time ever racing in the event.
WHEN TO WATCH
10,000 meters – Thursday, 9:40 p.m. (Semifinal)
5,000 meters – Saturday, 8:45 p.m. (Semifinal)
Alex Cooke – Hammer Throw
Cooke, a redshirt-junior from Low Gap, N.C., is making her first trip to the NCAA East Preliminary round. She is seeded 29th in the hammer throw at 196-7 (59.91 meters), a lifetime-best throw she achieved at the Battle of the Blues on April 6. The throw is fifth in UNC history.
WHEN TO WATCH
Saturday, 8:45 a.m. (First Round)
Natisha Dixon – 100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles
Dixon, a senior from Marietta, Ga., is making her first trip to the NCAA east prelims and has qualified in both the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles after running personal bests in both events at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She is seeded 27th in the 400 hurdles at 58.79 and 42nd in the 100 hurdles at 13.46.
WHEN TO WATCH
400H – Thursday, 1 p.m. (First Round)
100H – Friday, 1 p.m. (First Round)
400H – Friday, 3:15 p.m. (Quarterfinal – if qualified)
100H – Saturday, 1:50 p.m. (Quarterfinal – if qualified)
Blake Dodge – 800 meters
Dodge, a senior from Beaufort, N.C., is making her second trip to the NCAA east prelims in the 800 meters. She is seeded 35th with a time of 2:07.25 she ran at the Virginia Challenge on April 14.
WHEN TO WATCH
Thursday, 4:35 p.m. (First Round)
Friday, 2:45 p.m. (Quarterfinal – if qualified)
Brianna Duncan – 100 meters, 200 meters
Duncan, a sophomore from Cambridge, Mass., has broken school records in the 60 meters, 100 meters and outdoor 200 meters this season and is making her first trip to the NCAA east prelims. Each of the records stood for at least 20 years. She is seeded 18th in the 100 meters with her time of 11.27 she ran at the Virginia Grand Prix on April 28th, and she is seeded 21st in the 200 meters with her time of 23.13 that she ran at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational on April 14.
WHEN TO WATCH
100m – Thursday, 2:55 p.m. (First Round)
100m – Friday, 2:15 p.m. (Quarterfinal – if qualified)
200m – Friday, 3:55 p.m. (First Round)
200m – Saturday, 2:20 p.m. (Quarterfinal – if qualified)
Cierra Dunston – 400 meters
Dunston, a senior from Powder Springs, Ga., has qualified for the east prelims in the 400 meters for the second time in her career. She owns top-three times in UNC history in both the indoor 400 and outdoor 400 after running a lifetime-best 52.40 at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships to take fourth. She is seeded 14th in the event this weekend.
WHEN TO WATCH
Thursday, 3:45 p.m. (First Round)
Friday, 1:45 p.m. (Quarterfinal – if qualified)
Alexis Gannon – Long Jump
Gannon, a senior from Brookings, S.D., is making her third trip to the NCAA east prelims but is competing in the long jump for the first time. She is seeded 42nd with a personal-best 20-2 ¼ (6.15 meters) she jumped at the Virginia Grand Prix on April 28.
WHEN TO WATCH
Thursday, 6:30 p.m. (First Round)
Morgan Ilse – 5,000 meters
Ilse, a junior from Dunwoody, Ga., is making her second appearance in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA East Preliminary Round. She is seeded 13th after running a lifetime-best 16:05.83 at the Virginia Challenge on April 21. Ilse holds UNC's school record in the indoor 5,000 meters.
WHEN TO WATCH
Saturday, 8:45 p.m. (Semifinal)
Anna Keefer – Long Jump
Keefer, a freshman from St. Michael Albertville, Minn., jumped a lifetime-best 20-9 (6.32 meters) in the long jump at the Battle of the Blues on April 6. She won the indoor ACC title in the event and earned second-team honors in the long jump at the ACC Outdoor Championships. Keefer is seeded 12th in the event this weekend.
WHEN TO WATCH
Thursday, 6:30 p.m. (First Round)
Jill Shippee – Hammer Throw
Shippee, a freshman from Clifton Park, N.Y., is UNC's record holder in the hammer throw with a personal-best 207-4 (63.19 meters) she threw at the Virginia Challenge on April 21. She took fourth in the event at the ACC Outdoor Championships and she is seeded eighth in the field this weekend.
WHEN TO WATCH
Saturday, 8:45 a.m. (First Round)
Peighton Simmons – Triple Jump
Simmons, a freshman from High Point, N.C., is seeded 42nd in the triple jump with her leap of 41-5 ¾ (12.64 meters) from the Virginia Grand Prix on April 28.
WHEN TO WATCH
Saturday, 12:30 p.m. (First Round)
4x100-meter relay
The relay of Brianna Duncan, Katlin Sherman, Anna Keefer and Cierra Dunston has the fifth-fastest time in UNC history at 44.29, a time they ran at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational on April 14. The group comprises UNC's fastest 4x100 since 1998 and is seeded 10th in the event this weekend.
WHEN TO WATCH
Saturday, 12:45 p.m. (Quarterfinal)
4x400-meter relay
The Tar Heels are sending a 4x400 to the east prelims for the second-straight year. The group of Jewel Christian, Cierra Dunston, Natisha Dixon and McKinley McNeill took third at the ACC Outdoor Championships with the fourth-fastest time in UNC history of 3:34.97. The team is seeded 12th in the event this weekend.
WHEN TO WATCH
Saturday, 4:15 p.m. (Quarterfinal)
Players Mentioned
