INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Track & Field and Cross Country Committee announced the participants for the 2019 NCAA Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships preliminary competitions on Thursday, and 17 Redbird student-athletes have qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
The 17 student-athletes that advance will compete in the NCAA West Preliminary Round, hosted by California State University, Sacramento, on May 23-25 in Sacramento, California. For the first time in school history, four of the Redbird qualifiers are women's shot putters. Every member of the No. 3 nationally ranked USTFCCCA #EventSquad made the cut to compete in California, with Julia Bourke, Brandy Thomas, Tayler Weaver, and Kassie Hoyme all advancing.
Even more impressive, the 17 qualifying student-athletes marks the most individuals that have advanced to the NCAA West Preliminary Round during Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Jeff Bovee's tenure.
The following Illinois State track & field student-athletes have qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round:
Jack Anstey (1,500-meter)
Logan Calvin (Shot Put)
Kimathi Johnson (800-meter)
Kellen Kravik (Pole Vault)
Kyle Mattes (10,000-meter)
Demetria Anderson (100-meter Hurdles)
Grace Beattie (3,000-meter Steeplechase)
Julia Bourke (Hammer Throw and Shot Put)
Ariana Cranston (Pole Vault)
Charde Golliday (Long Jump)
Kristin Higgins (High Jump)
Kassie Hoyme (Shot Put)
Sydney Laufenberg (Discus)
Hattie Plumb (800-meter)
Kameesha Smith (High Jump)
Brandy Thomas (Shot Put)
Tayler Weaver (Shot Put)
NCAA track & field fans can watch live and on-demand coverage of the NCAA East and West Preliminary Rounds as FloTrack Pro subscribers. Coverage of the preliminary competitions will be available May 23-25 at www.FloTrack.com.
Qualifiers out of the two regions (East and West) will move on to compete in the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships held June 5-8 at Texas in Austin, Texas.
More information regarding the NCAA West Preliminary Round will be available on GoRedbirds.com during the upcoming week. For all the latest on Redbird track & field and cross country, visit GoRedbirds.com and follow the 'Birds on Twitter (@Redbird_TrackXC), Instagram (@redbird_trackxc), and Facebook (@redbirdsTF).
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