NEW ORLEANS – Following a competitive Outdoor Track and Field season, 98 student-athletes – at least one individual from each of the 12 Sun Belt programs – have qualified for the NCAA Track and Field Regional Preliminaries, scheduled for May 26-30.
The East Regional will be held in Jacksonville, Florida, while the West Regional will take place in College Station, Texas.
The top 48 student-athletes in their respective events earned a bid to the NCAA Preliminary Rounds. (Due to scratches in the initial top 48, additional athletes were added). The top 12 finishers in each event at Regional Preliminaries will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, held June 9-12 in Eugene, Oregon.
Coastal Carolina's Melissa Jefferson, the Sun Belt's Most Outstanding Track Performer, Newcomer, and Freshman of the Year, will compete in the 100m, 200m, 400m relay, and 1600m relay. The Georgetown, S.C., native claimed high-point honors, collecting 22.5 points at the SBC Outdoor Track and Field championships. Jefferson earned 12 gold medals in the 2021 outdoor season. Ten student-athletes will represent Coastal Carolina in the East Preliminaries.
The Sun Belt Men’s Most Outstanding Track Performer, Bennett Pascoe, is one of a school-record 18 student-athletes representing Arkansas State in the West Regional. Pascoe has the West’s eighth-best qualifying time in the 3000m steeplechase.
South Alabama’s Autavia Fluker will compete in the shot put and hammer throw. Fluker, the Sun Belt's Most Outstanding Field Performer, won the hammer throw, breaking an SBC meet record, and qualifying for the Olympic Trials with a mark of 68.17m (223’ 8”) at the SBC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Bessemer, Ala., native is a three-time Sun Belt Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honoree and has won eight gold medals the 2021 outdoor season. Twelve student-athletes will represent the Jaguars in the East Preliminaries.
Louisiana’s Brock Appiah is one of a league-high 21 Ragin’ Cajuns competing in the East Regional. Appiah will see action in the 100m, 200m, and 400m relay. UL’s Kiana Foster will appear in three events, including the 100m, 200m, and 400m relay.
Seven Troy Trojans will compete at the NCAA Track & Field Championships East Preliminaries. Gemma Finch and Edita Sklenska will compete in the women’s 800m, and Matthew Likely will run in the 200m. Maja Kuessner and Titus Sizemore will compete in the women’s and men’s high jump. Michael Alvernaz and Cole Stewart will compete in the hammer throw and javelin respectively.
Texas State will send 10 student-athletes to the West Preliminaries, including a men’s 4x400m relay team. Newcomer of the Year Kwanele Mthembu will run in the 10,000m. The Johannesburg, South Africa, native won the event at the Sun Belt Outdoor Track and Field Championships and broke a meet record with a time of 24:48.33.
Johnathan Jones and Ryan Curington will represent Little Rock in the West Preliminaries. Jones finished the season ranked 18th on the West Preliminaries performance list in the high jump.
Arthur Petersen is one of eight student-athletes representing UTA. Petersen, who won the SBC 2021 men’s javelin, holds the top throw in the West Preliminaries at 77.75m (255-01).
Ronald Henderson and Calla Saldutto will represent ULM. Henderson clinched spots in the long jump and high jump, while Saldutto will compete in the javelin. Georgia Southern's Zykeria Williams, Scovia Ayikoru, Aris Hubbard, and Camryn Mathis qualified for the 400m relay. Williams also secured a spot in the 100m hurdles while Ayikoru qualified for the 400m dash. App State's Peighton Simmons and Maya Hanks will compete in the women's triple jump. Eric Haddock Jr. will also represent the Mountaineers as he competes in the men's triple jump. Finally, Georgia State's Jaeda Hunt will compete in West Preliminaries after winning the SBC 2021 women's long jump with a mark of 6.15m.
East schedule of events
West schedule of events
2021 NCAA WEST REGIONAL QUALIFIERS
MEN
Jermie Walker, Arkansas State (200m)
Ke'Von Holder, Arkansas State (110m hurdles)
Daidren Davis, Arkansas State (400m hurdles)
Bennett Pascoe, Arkansas State (3000m Steeplechase)
Frank Massey, Arkansas State (High Jump)
Bradley Jelmert, Arkansas State (Pole Vault)
Carter Shell, Arkansas State (Long Jump)
Courtney Thomas, Arkansas State (Long Jump)
Eron Carter, Arkansas State (Discus)
Aimar Palma Simo, Arkansas State (Hammer)
Johnathan Jones, Little Rock (High Jump)
Ryan Curington, Little Rock (Long Jump)
DaVontay Kennedy, UTA (200m)
Justin Domangue, UTA (3000m Steeplechase)
Joel Bengtsson, UTA (110m hurdles)
Medric Roberson, UTA (110m hurdles)
Bryson DeBerry, UTA (High Jump)
Arthur Petersen, UTA (Javelin)
Bervensky Pierre, Texas State (200m)
Jaylen Allen, Texas State (400m, 1600m relay)
Kobe Daniels, Texas State (400m, 1600m relay)
Pedro Osorio Lopez, Texas State (800m, 1600m relay)
Kwanele Mthembu, Texas State (10000m)
Ronnie Briscoe, Jr., Texas State (Long Jump)
Brandon Busby, Texas State (Hammer)
WOMEN
Rainee Bowers, Arkansas State (100m hurdles)
Pauline Meyer, Arkansas State (3000m Steeplechase)
Allie Hensley, Arkansas State (High Jump)
Lauren Beauchamp, Arkansas State (Pole Vault)
Imani Udoumana, Arkansas State (Triple Jump)
Evangelynn Harris, Arkansas State (Shot put, Discus)
Babette Vandeput, Arkansas State (Discus)
Grace Flowers, Arkansas State (Hammer)
Shelby West, UTA (400m hurdles)
Liv Cantby, UTA (Javelin)
Kattiana Ealy-Pulido, Texas State (100m hurdles, 400m hurdles)
Ariana Ealy-Pulido, Texas State (100m hurdles, 400m hurdles)
Katherine Stuckly, Texas State (High Jump)
2021 NCAA EAST REGIONAL QUALIFIERS
MEN
Eric Haddock Jr., App State (Triple Jump)
Braydon Bennett, Coastal Carolina (110m hurdles)
David Ejumeta, Coastal Carolina (Long Jump)
Brock Appiah, Louisiana (100m, 200m, 400m relay)
Yves Cherubin, Louisiana (110m hurdles)
Nathan Fergusson, Louisiana (400m hurdles)
Trejun Jones, Louisiana (400m relay)
Terroll Jolla, Louisiana (400m relay)
Jahmad Booth, Louisiana (400m relay)
Rylan Theyard, Louisiana (high Jump)
Cole Courtois, Louisiana (Pole Vault)
Chandler Mixon, Louisiana (Pole Vault)
Obdarius Ware, Louisiana (Long Jump)
John Joseph, Louisiana (Long Jump, Triple Jump)
Gabriel Serrano, South Alabama (400m dash)
Bobby Colantonio, South Alabama (Hammer throw)
Xavier Rogers, South Alabama (400m)
Hunter Appling, South Alabama (110m hurdles)
Dorian Curry, South Alabama (High Jump)
Kyle Rademeyer, South Alabama (Pole Vault)
David Dolan, South Alabama (Pole Vault)
Noah Mumme, South Alabama (Pole Vault)
Christian Ellis, South Alabama (Triple Jump)
Rickssen Opont, South Alabama (Hammer Throw)
Francois Prinsloo, South Alabama (Discus)
Matthew Likely, Troy (200m)
Titus Sizemore, Troy (High Jump)
Michael Alvernaz, Troy (Hammer Throw)
Cole Stewart, Troy (Javelin)
Ronald Henderson, ULM (High Jump, Long Jump)
Calla Saldutto, ULM (Javelin)
WOMEN
Peighton Simmons, App State (Triple Jump)
Maya Hanks, App State (Triple Jump)
Melissa Jefferson, Coastal Carolina (100m, 200m, 1600m relay, 400m relay)
Jermaisha Arnold, Coastal Carolina (400m, 1600m relay, 1600m relay)
Amaryah White, Coastal Carolina (400m, 1600m relay)
Shani'a Bellamy, Coastal Carolina (400m hurdles)
Keniah Wallace, Coastal Carolina (400m relay)
Kayla Sweeney, Coastal Carolina (400m relay)
Tariney Pepper, Coastal Carolina (400m relay)
Lauren Gordon, Coastal Carolina (400m relay)
Scovia Ayikoru, Georgia Southern (400m, 400m relay)
Zykeria Williams, Georgia Southern (100m hurdles, 400m relay)
Camryn Mathis, Georgia Southern (400m relay)
Aris Hubbard, Georgia Southern (400m relay)
Jaeda Hunt, Georgia State (Long Jump)
Kiana Foster, Louisiana (100m, 200m, 400m relay)
Ta'La Spates, Louisiana (100m, 400m relay)
Serenity Rogers, Louisiana (100m hurdles, 400m relay)
Kennedy London, Louisiana (400m)
Frankie Griffin, Louisiana (High Jump)
Brooklynne Wilson, Louisiana (Discus)
Claire Meyers, Louisiana (Javelin)
Maria Bienvenu, Louisiana (Javelin)
Autavia Fluker, South Alabama (Shot Put, Hammer Throw)
Bodine Degli-Umberti, South Alabama (Discus)
Colette Uys, South Alabama (Discus)
Gemma Finch, Troy (800m)
Edita Sklenska, Troy (800m)
Maja Kuessner, Troy (High Jump)