Alabama Track and Field Set for NCAA Championships East Preliminary

Wednesday, May 25

Bloomington, Ind.

All-Day

Alabama

NCAA East Preliminary

Alabama Track and Field Set for NCAA Championships East Preliminary

5/24/2022 4:07:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country

Live Results NCAA East Preliminary Central Watch (live stream)

The Crimson Tide contingent of 40 student-athletes includes 22 men and 18 women

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Following a pair of practice days in Bloomington, Ind., the Alabama track and field men's and women's teams are set to compete at the 2022 NCAA East Preliminary on the Indiana University campus May 25-28 at the Robert Haugh Track & Field Complex this week.

The top-48 declared student-athletes from the two regions (East and West) in each individual event will contend for berths at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this week at one of the two regional sites, with the East in Bloomington and the West in Fayetteville, Ark.

Qualifying to the NCAA Championships' final site at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., June 8-11, 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 the two Preliminary sites, filling 24 slots in each event at the national championships.

Alabama at the NCAA East Preliminary

The Crimson Tide's contingent at the NCAA Championships qualifier totals 40 student-athletes, including 22 men and 18 women
Alabama's squad also includes 32 student-athletes who are slated to compete in individual events, a tally that includes seven who have earned berths in multiple individual events
In addition to its 38 individual event slots, Alabama has qualified both the men's and women's 4x100-meter relays and 4x400-meter relays
Eliud Kipsang (1,500 meters), Isaac Odugbesan (shot put) and Bobby Colantonio Jr. (hammer) are all seeded No. 1 in their respective events heading into the NCAA East Preliminary
The women's squad includes Flomena Asekol, Na'Taja Ballard, Amari Brown, Mercy Chelangat, Nickolette Dunbar, Milan Fields, Kassidy Gallagher, Samantha Kunza, Talaya Lewis, Sydney Milani, Christal Mosley, Amara Obi, Hailey Poole, Chanice Spicer, Ayla Stanisclaus, Amaris Tyynismaa, Karmen Williams and Samantha Zelden
The men's crew includes Chago Basso, Hillary Cheruiyot, Bobby Colantonio Jr., Antonio Crisco, Alan de Falchi, Clayton Elder, Jerimiah Evans, Leander Forbes, Emmanuel Ineh, Demetrius Jackson, Victor Kiprop, Eliud Kipsang, Jacob Lamb, Corde Long, Louis Martinez, Kieran McKeag, Khaleb McRae, Isaac Odugbesan, Tarsis Orogot, Jekovan Rhetta, Gabe Serrano and Josh Thomas
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 9 a.m. CT in the hammer throw, while Hillary Cheruiyot and Eliud Kipsang open things on the track at 5:30 p.m. CT with the 1,500 meters
Kassidy Gallagher and Samantha Kunza get the women started at 9 a.m. CT on Thursday with the hammer throw, while Flomena Asekol opens things on the track at 5:30 p.m. CT in the 1,500 meters

Alabama in the National Rankings

Eliud Kipsang's collegiate record in the men's 1,500 meters (3:33.74) ranks him No. 1 in the nation
Bobby Colantonio Jr.'s 72.59 meters at the SEC Championships ranks him second nationally in the men's hammer
Mercy Chelangat is ranked third in the women's 5,000 meters after posting a 15:17.28 earlier this season
Isaac Odugbesan shattered a 42-year-old school record in the men's shot put with a toss of 20.66 meters, which ranks him third nationally
Jacob Lamb is ranked seventh in the 800 meters after running a career-best 1:46.51 at the SEC Championships
Kieran McKeag went 71.53 meters in the men's hammer at the Crimson Tide Invitational to rank sixth nationally
The men's 4x400-meter relay of Leander Forbes, Corde Long, Demetrius Jackson and Khaleb McRae posted a 3:02.31 at the SEC Championships which ranks eighth nationally
Victor Kiprop is ninth (13:24.48) in the 5,000 meters
The men's 4x100-meter relay of Jekovan Rhetta, Tarsis Orogot, Mason Phillips and Jackson ran a 38.86 at the Crimson Tide Invitational to rank ninth

Last Time Out

At the 2022 Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships in College Station, Texas, the Tide combined to earn 13 medals, including four gold
The men's team took second at SECs, giving the squad back-to-back runner-up finishes
The women finished eighth at the outdoor championships, with Mercy Chelangat leading the way with a sweep of the distance events for the second year in a row

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.