The University of Akron Athletics
Qualifiers Announced for NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Preliminary Rounds
May 18 | Track & Field
NCAA East Preliminary Central Page
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron track and field program will send 14 athletes – competing in 16 men's and women's events – to the NCAA East Preliminary, which runs from May 24-26 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Five 2012 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships headline the list of qualifiers for the Zips, including Shawn Light (pole vault) and Tyshaun Peoples (long jump) on the men's side and Ariane Beaumont-Courteau (pole vault), Alexis Cooks (discus) and Brittany Funk (hammer throw) from the women's team.
Cooks, the 2012 MAC Female Most Outstanding Field Performer who broke the school record in the discus (179-10) at the championship meet, will also be competing in the shot put while Nick Banke will pull double duty as well, competing in both the discus and shot put events.
Also making the trip will be Daryl Baptiste (men's long jump), Jessica Delic (women's javelin), Dan Garrett (men's pole vault), Eric Hubbard (men's hammer throw), Katherine Lee (women's pole vault), Claire Lucas (women's pole vault), J'Lani Pryce (men's 400-meter hurdles) and Joe Wesley (men's pole vault).
Of UA's 14 athletes, nine will be making return appearances to the NCAA East Preliminary. Both Banke (discus) and Lee, a USTFCCCA Second-Team All-American in 2011, were two of six Zips that qualified through to the NCAA Championships at the prelim a year ago.
Live results as well as a video stream will be provided at the meet, courtesy of the NCAA. For links, log on to the NCAA's East Preliminary page.
The NCAA recently released its full list of qualifiers, which include the top 48 athletes in each event for both the East and West regions. The top 12 finishers in each qualifying round will advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held from June 6-9 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
UA's East Preliminary Qualifiers
Men's Team (seed)
Nick Banke, discus (55.47/182-00) and shot put (17.52/57-05.75)
Daryl Baptiste, long jump (7.48/24-06.50)
Dan Garrett, pole vault (5.07/16-07.50)
Eric Hubbard, hammer throw (62.96/206-07)
Shawn Light, pole vault (5.25/17-02.75)
Tyshaun Peoples, long jump (7.59/24-11.00)
J'Lani Pryce, 400-meter hurdles (52.64)
Joe Wesley, pole vault (5.25/17-02.75)
Women's Team (seed)
Ariane Beaumont-Courteau, pole vault (4.10/13-05.25)
Alexis Cooks, discus (54.82/179-10) and shot put (15.20/49-10.50)
Jessica Delic, javelin (44.71/146-08)
Brittany Funk, hammer throw (58.65/192-05)
Katherine Lee, pole vault (4.15/13-07.25)
Claire Lucas, pole vault (3.87/12-08.25)
