Alabama
NCAA East Preliminary
Alabama Track and Field Set for NCAA Championships East Preliminary
5/25/2021 11:13:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
The Crimson Tide contingent of 30 student-athletes includes 15 men and 15 women
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a pair of practice days in Jacksonville, Fla., Alabama track and field is set to compete at the 2021 NCAA East Preliminary on the University of North Florida campus May 26-29 at Hodges Stadium.
The top-48 declared student-athletes from each region (East and West) in each individual event will contend for NCAA Outdoor Championships berths at one of two regional sites. With the East in Jacksonville, the West Region is in College Station, Texas.
Qualifying to the NCAA Championships' final site at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., from June 9-12, is accomplished through performances in the Preliminary rounds of competition, with 12 competitors in each individual event and 12 teams in each relay advancing from each Preliminary site, filling 24 slots in each event at nationals.
Alabama at the NCAA East Preliminary
- The Crimson Tide's contingent at the NCAA Championships qualifier totals 30 student-athletes, including 15 men and 15 women
- The women's squad includes D'Jai Baker, Mercy Chelangat, Tamara Clark, Nickolette Dunbar, Esther Gitahi, Taylor Gorum, Leah Hanle, Samantha Kunza, Daija Lampkin, Natassha McDonald, Sydney Milani, Christal Mosley, Cherisse Murray, Amaris Tyynismaa and Samantha Zelden
- The men's crew includes Champion Allison, Chago Basso, Bobby Colantonio Jr., Robert Dunning, Christian Edwards, Vincent Kiprop, Eliud Kipsang, Ryan Lipe, Jonathan Martin, Keshun McGee, Kieran McKeag, Isaac Odugbesan, Gabe Serrano, Joshua St. Clair and Matthew Weaver
- The men will compete on Wednesday and Friday and the women on Thursday and Saturday
- Bobby Colantonio Jr. and Kieran McKeag get things started on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. CT in the hammer throw, while Robert Dunning opens things on the track at 5 p.m. CT with the 110-meter hurdles
- Taylor Gorum and Samantha Kunza get the women started at 12:30 p.m. CT on Thursday with the hammer throw, while Amaris Tyynismaa opens things on the track at 5:30 p.m. CT in the 1,500 meters
Alabama in the National Rankings
- The Crimson Tide women are eighth and the men are 11th in the latest USTFCCCA NCAA DI National Track & Field Rating Index
- Alabama has 12 individual performances and one relay ranked in the top-10 nationally including a trio of student-athletes ranked No. 1 in their specialties
- Tamara Clark is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the 100 meter (10.87) and third in the 200 meters (22.50)
- Mercy Chelangat is No. 1 in the 10,000 meters after posting a 32:13.13
- Robert Dunning is first in the 110-meter hurdles (13.15) and ninth in the 400-meter hurdles (49.70)
- Natassha McDonald is ranked second in the 400 meters (50.91)
- Eliud Kipsang is No. 3 in the 1,500 meters (3:36.00)
- In the women's 5,000 meters, Chelangat (15:17.79) is third and Amaris Tyynismaa (15:33.52) is ninth
- The women's 4x100-meter relay (42.94) is ranked fifth
- Isaac Odugbesan posted a throw of 20.22 meters to rank sixth
- Christian Edwards' leap of 16.51 meters ranks him seventh in the triple jump
- Vincent Kiprop is ranked 10th in the 5,000 (28:23.60)
Last Time Out
- At the 2021 Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships in College Station, Texas, the Tide combined to earn 20 medals, including nine gold
- The men's team took second at SECs, its best finish since 1985
- The women finished third at the outdoor championships, its best finish since winning it all in 1994
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaTrack on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
