The University of Arkansas women’s and men’s teams have a combined 59 entries for the NCAA West preliminary meet, which will be held next week, May 26-29, in College Station, Texas.
Arkansas’ No. 2-ranked women’s team has 32 entries and the No. 14 men’s team 27.
The top 12 finishers in each event at the West prelims advance to the NCAA Championships held June 9-12 in Eugene, Ore.
The 32 entries for the Razorbacks’ women team include 28 athletes in 13 events. The Arkansas men’s team has 24 athletes in 14 events.
Arkansas State University is sending a program-record 18 athletes to the NCAA West meet. University of Arkansas at Little Rock freshmen Johnathan Jones and Ryan Curington also qualified in the high jump and long jump, respectively.
The Red Wolves’ group of 18 tops a previous best of 16 athletes sent to the preliminary event in 2019. The top-48 athletes in each event qualified for the competition at E.B. Cushing Stadium, and the top-12 finishers will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships from June 9-12 in Eugene, Oregon.
Jermie Walker leads the 10 ASU athletes from the men’s side and will compete in the 200 meters, along with Ke’Von Holder (110 meter hurdles), Daidren Davis (400m hurdles) and Bennett Pascoe (3000 meter steeplechase). High jumper Frank Massey and longer jumpers Carter Shell and Courtney Thomas each qualified, as well as Bradley Jelmert (pole vault), Eron Carter (discus) and Aimar Palma Simo (hammer).
On the women’s side, Rainee Bowers is set to compete in the 100 meter hurdles and Pauline Meyer will run the 3000 meter steeplechase. Allie Hensley qualified in the high jump, while Lauren Beauchamp will feature in the pole vault event and Imani Udoumana in the triple jump. Among the Red Wolves’ throwers, Evangelyyn Harris will compete in the shot put and discuss, joined by Grace Flowers (hammer) and Babette Vandeput (discus).
Jones set a program record for the Trojans with a mark of 7-1 on April 10 and qualified for the preliminary as the No. 18 high jumper in the West. Curington finished second in the long jump at the Sun Belt Championships and arrives to the preliminary No. 29 in the West.