By Tyler Wooten
GoSycamores.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana State has 11 student-athletes that have qualified to compete in 12 total events at the NCAA East Region Preliminary Round Championships, which will be held once again at North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 26-28.
To qualify for this first-round of the NCAA Championships, student-athletes must have finished the season ranked within the top-48 of their individual events or as a member of a top-24 relay team on their respective regional qualifying list (East or West), which was released by the NCAA on Thursday. The top-12 athletes in the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon in the East and West automatically receive entry to the national meet.
From there, the top-12 finalists in each event at each regional meet advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships at the University of Oregon on June 8-11.
After scratches were applied Thursday morning, Indiana State ended up with seven men qualified in as many events, and four women qualified in five events.
Leading the way for the Sycamore men are the Indianapolis hurdles duo of Adarius Washington and Marcus Neely. Washington, an All-American that ranks No. 2 in the NCAA this season, owns the East Region's top 110-meter hurdles time of 13.40 seconds.
Neely isn't far behind with the 10th-best time in the East at 13.70 seconds – ran this past weekend at the MVC Outdoor Championships for a runner-up finish, the fifth-best time in school history. Both would qualify for the NCAA Championships if they finish in the same spot as they currently rank on the East list.
Also within reasonable contention for the national meet is senior pole vaulter and MVC Champion Connor Curley. The Terre Haute native ranks 14th in the East at an outdoor PR height of 5.26m (17-03.00), the second-best height in school history. However, Curley potentially still has some room to grow, as his indoor PR is 5.30m (17-04.50) and he has taken several solid attempts at a new outdoor school record at 5.35m (17-06.75). Curley's current outdoor PR would have been good enough to make it out of the East Region in 2015.
Leading the way for the Sycamore women is sophomore Taylor Austin, the 2016 MVC steeplechase champion. Austin ranks 20th in the East in the steeple at her new school-record time of 10:17.70 ran just last week to secure the Valley title by three seconds. Austin will have a tough – but manageable – road ahead, as it took 10:00.77 to make it out of the East in 2015.
The biggest crew by far for the Sycamores will be the throwers. Indiana State will send four athletes to compete in five events in both the men's and women's throws. Senior Jamar Brown enters with the top mark in the crew, ranked 36th in the shot put after his All-MVC finish last week at 17.45m (57-03.00) – the ninth-best toss in school history.
The ISU women own the other four entries following a solid season and even stronger MVC Championship meet. Three Sycamores will represent ISU in the shot put: senior Whitney Walker (37th, 15.20m/49-10.50), sophomore Cassaundra Roper (44th, 15.04m/49-04.25) and senior Katelyn Rutz (48th, 14.97m/49-01.50).
Rutz snared the final qualifying spot after scratches were applied, but she is also qualified in the discus, finishing 44th on the qualifying list at 49.20m (161-05). MVC discus champion and sophomore Jasmine Noel just narrowly missed out on joining Rutz in the discus, falling one spot shy at 49th on her MVC-winning throw of 48.60m (159-05).
Also benefiting from the scratch-down is junior All-American David Timlin. Ranked outside the top-48 in both the 800 and 1500, Timlin found himself qualified in both following an unusually long list of scratches – including 13 in the 1500. Timlin will only run in the 1500, however, and will enter with the 42nd-best time at 3:45.28.
Timlin is ISU's school-record holder at 3:42.22, ran at last year's NCAA Championships, where he finished 14th overall for Second-Team All-America status. Timlin was the fourth-place finisher in the 1500 at the East Regional in 2015.
Indiana State will also have two jumpers in attendance in sophomore high jumper Jaime Murtagh (40th, 2.11m/6-11.00) and junior All-MVC long jumper Devyn Mikell (46th, 7.50m/24-07.25).
Heat sheets will come out next Tuesday, May 24th. Competition will begin for the Sycamores at 3:30 p.m. next Thursday (May 26) with Devyn Mikell in the long jump.
Men's Entries:
1. Adarius Washington – 110-Meter Hurdles – 13.40
10. Marcus Neely – 110-Meter Hurdles – 13.70
14. Connor Curley – Pole Vault – 5.26m (17-03.00)
36. Jamar Brown – Shot Put – 17.45m (57-03.00)
40. Jaime Murtagh – High Jump – 2.11m (6-11.00)
42. David Timlin – 1500 Meters – 3:45.28
46. Devyn Mikell – Long Jump – 7.50m (24-07.25)
Women's Entries:
20. Taylor Austin – 3,000-Meter Steeplechase – 10:17.70
37. Whitney Walker – Shot Put – 15.20m (49-10.50)
44. Cassaundra Roper – Shot Put – 15.04m (49-04.25)
44. Katelyn Rutz – Discus – 49.20m (161-05)
48. Katelyn Rutz – Shot Put – 14.97m (49-01.50)
For the latest information on the Sycamore Track and Field team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.
