State Sends Record Number of Athletes to NCAA Prelims

State Sends Record Number of Athletes to NCAA Prelims

May 17, 2019 | Track & Field

Men's East Prelims Qualifiers Women's East Prelims Qualifiers

by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications

STARKVILLE – Twenty-eight Mississippi State track and field athletes will compete at the NCAA East Prelims in Jacksonville, Florida, next week. That total surpasses the previous MSU record of 24 athletes set in 2016.

Rasheed Tatham's bronze medal effort in the 400m hurdles at the SEC Championships landed him the top qualifying spot in the east with a time of 50.13. Tatham was one of nine Bulldogs to improve their qualifying position at the Championships.

Gralyn Jones earned a postseason bid in the triple jump after breaking his personal best with a 15.36m leap. Sylvia Russell moved into qualifying position in the 3000m steeplechase. Stephen Jones, who had already qualified in the men's steeplechase, also earned a spot in the 5000m.

State's men's 4x400m relay of Brian Evans, Cameron Crump, Rasheed Tatham and Lester Miller dropped more than two seconds off their time to earn the No. 17 seed. The Bulldogs' men's 4x100m relay is seeded 20^th.

Miller and Karson Kowalchuk will both compete in three events. Miller qualified in the open 100m as well as the two relays. Kowalchuk will run on the 4x100m relay and compete in the open 100m and 200m.

State's men have multiple qualifiers in the 400m hurdles, 800m and javelin. Charles Brockman III and Malcum Tatum join Tatham in the hurdles. Marco Arop and Dejon Devroe will run the 800m. All five advanced to the NCAA Championships in their respective events last season.

Anderson Peters will look to defend his NCAA javelin title while Curtis Thompson and Tyriq Horsford join him on the runway. The trio swept the SEC podium last week. Peters would be just the third Bulldog to successfully defend an NCAA title joining Tiffany McWilliams in the 1500m (2003, 2004) and C.S. Cochran in the 440yd dash (1922, 1923). Sarah Blake will throw for the women.

Tiffany Flynn is the No. 2 seed in the triple jump after she broke her own school record at the SEC Championships. Alexis Farley will join her in that event. Charlotte Cayton-Smith and Alon Lewis will run the 800m, while Riley White rounds out the track events in the 400m hurdles.

MSU is well-represented in the women's jumps. Logan Boss is the No. 4 seed in the high jump. Peyton Mickelson qualified in the pole vault, and Asia Poe will compete in the long jump after she was the only freshman in the event at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.

For more information on the Mississippi State track and field team, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateTF" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.