Eight Prepare for NCAA East Preliminary Round
May 24, 2023 01:27 PM | Track & Field
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Eight members of the West Virginia University track and field team are set to compete at the 2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Regional Championship, from May 24-27, at Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.
Women's events are set begin with the first round on Thursday, May 27, at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the quarterfinals round on Saturday, May 27, beginning at 5 p.m.
Live results for the meet are available at NCAA.com, while action for all four days will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Redshirt seniors Hayley Jackson (1,500 meters) and Mikaela Lucki (1,500 meters, 5,000 meters), seniors Rachel Butler (10,000 meters) and Katherine Dowie (3,000-meter steeplechase), redshirt junior Charlotte Wood (10,000 meters), junior Ceili McCabe (3,000 meter-steeplechase) and sophomore Cassandra Williamson (800 meters) all ranked inside the top 48 in their respective events in the NCAA East Region to earn a spot at the preliminary championships.
Junior Mikenna Vanderheyden also qualified for the preliminary round in the 3,000-meter steeplechase but was forced to scratch from the meet due to an injury.
On Thursday, the Mountaineers begin competition in the 1,500 meters at 6:30 p.m., followed by the 800 meters at 7:50 p.m. and the 10,000-meter semifinal at 9:10 p.m. The top 24 times in every event but the 10K will move on to Saturday's quarterfinals.
Saturday's 1,500-meter quarterfinal is tabbed for 5:15 p.m., followed by the quarterfinals of the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 5:40 p.m. The 800-meter quarterfinal is set for 7:05 p.m., before WVU's events wrap up with the 5,000-meter semifinal at 8:10 p.m.
Opening the weekend in the 1,500-meter run, Jackson ranks No. 8 in the Big 12 Conference and No. 54 in the NCAA East Division, while Lucki sits at No. 10 in the league and No. 62 divisionally.
In the 800 meters, Williamson enters the race ranked No. 7 in the conference and No. 45 in the division. Rounding out the first day of action will be Wood and Butler in the 10,000 meters. Butler sits No. 8 in the Big 12 and No. 22 in the East, followed by Wood at No. 10 in the league and No. 26 in the division.
McCabe enters this weekend's competition ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 4 in the East Region in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. She is coming off her third consecutive Big 12 title in the event on May 14, and she returns to the East Prelims after placing third in 2022 to advance to the NCAA National Championships. The Vancouver, British Columbia, native placed third at NCAAs last season to earn her third All-American honor of the year.
Also competing in the steeplechase, Dowie ranks No. 6 in the Big 12 and No. 30 in the NCAA East Division. In the 5,000-meter run, Lucki ranks No. 5 in the conference and No. 53 divisionally.
For each individual event contested at each of the preliminary sites, the top 48 declared student-athletes were accepted into the competition. The top 24 declared relay teams for each relay event were accepted into the competition. Qualifiers out of the East and West Regions who place in the top 12 in their events will advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas, from June 7-10.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Women's events are set begin with the first round on Thursday, May 27, at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the quarterfinals round on Saturday, May 27, beginning at 5 p.m.
Live results for the meet are available at NCAA.com, while action for all four days will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Redshirt seniors Hayley Jackson (1,500 meters) and Mikaela Lucki (1,500 meters, 5,000 meters), seniors Rachel Butler (10,000 meters) and Katherine Dowie (3,000-meter steeplechase), redshirt junior Charlotte Wood (10,000 meters), junior Ceili McCabe (3,000 meter-steeplechase) and sophomore Cassandra Williamson (800 meters) all ranked inside the top 48 in their respective events in the NCAA East Region to earn a spot at the preliminary championships.
Junior Mikenna Vanderheyden also qualified for the preliminary round in the 3,000-meter steeplechase but was forced to scratch from the meet due to an injury.
On Thursday, the Mountaineers begin competition in the 1,500 meters at 6:30 p.m., followed by the 800 meters at 7:50 p.m. and the 10,000-meter semifinal at 9:10 p.m. The top 24 times in every event but the 10K will move on to Saturday's quarterfinals.
Saturday's 1,500-meter quarterfinal is tabbed for 5:15 p.m., followed by the quarterfinals of the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 5:40 p.m. The 800-meter quarterfinal is set for 7:05 p.m., before WVU's events wrap up with the 5,000-meter semifinal at 8:10 p.m.
Opening the weekend in the 1,500-meter run, Jackson ranks No. 8 in the Big 12 Conference and No. 54 in the NCAA East Division, while Lucki sits at No. 10 in the league and No. 62 divisionally.
In the 800 meters, Williamson enters the race ranked No. 7 in the conference and No. 45 in the division. Rounding out the first day of action will be Wood and Butler in the 10,000 meters. Butler sits No. 8 in the Big 12 and No. 22 in the East, followed by Wood at No. 10 in the league and No. 26 in the division.
McCabe enters this weekend's competition ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 4 in the East Region in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. She is coming off her third consecutive Big 12 title in the event on May 14, and she returns to the East Prelims after placing third in 2022 to advance to the NCAA National Championships. The Vancouver, British Columbia, native placed third at NCAAs last season to earn her third All-American honor of the year.
Also competing in the steeplechase, Dowie ranks No. 6 in the Big 12 and No. 30 in the NCAA East Division. In the 5,000-meter run, Lucki ranks No. 5 in the conference and No. 53 divisionally.
For each individual event contested at each of the preliminary sites, the top 48 declared student-athletes were accepted into the competition. The top 24 declared relay teams for each relay event were accepted into the competition. Qualifiers out of the East and West Regions who place in the top 12 in their events will advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas, from June 7-10.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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