FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --Â The Illinois State men's and women's track and field teams qualify 13 individuals for the NCAA West Preliminary Round hosted by Arkansas May 29-31, at John McDonnell Field.
The Redbirds are coming off a sixth-place finish from both the men and women at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships. Akil Mills, Cirron Clark, Jianna Williams, Kelly McShea and Kristen Zillmer are each returning to the track and field after earning a conference championship in their respective events.
48 athletes in each individual event qualify for the NCAA Preliminary Round, while just 24 teams do so in the relays. There are two regions, the West and the East, and only 12 athletes and relay teams will advance from each region to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, June 11-14, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
The men's team will see eight athletes, competing in five events, while the women's team will see five athletes vying for a spot at nationals in five events.
ISU ATHLETES ADMITTED INTO THE NCAA WEST PRELIMINARY ROUND
| Name | Event | Time/Mark | Regional Ranking |
| Shandel Ellis | 400m | 54.23 | No. 43 |
| Kristen Zillmer | Steeple | 10:10.72 | No. 10 |
| Kelly McShea | Steeple | 10:21.93 | No. 28 |
| Julia Ott | Pole Vault | 4.00m | No. 31 |
| Jianna Williams | SP/HT | 15.75m/57.74m | No. 25/No. 43 |
| Ryan Rutherford | 10K | 28:41.23 | No. 5 |
| Antonio Farley | 4x400 | 3:09.87 | No. 23 |
| Fabian Norgrove | 4x400 | 3:09.87 | No. 23 |
| Coty Kramer | 4x400 | 3:09.87 | No. 23 |
| Anderson Devonish | 4x400 | 3:09.87 | No. 23 |
| Curt Jensen | SP | 20.33m | No. 2 |
| Akil Mills | HT | 63.99m | No. 13 |
| Cirron Clark | Pole Vault | 5.18m | No. 46 |
CJ Hamilton will run as the alternate for the men's 4x400-meter relay team.
Fans wishing to follow the action can do so on Twitter @ISU_Track_XC, and results will be posted on www.GoRedbirds.com following the conclusion of the day. Live results can also be followed at http://flashresults.com/?SPSID=11627&SPID=684&DB_OEM_ID=6100.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
