Red Wolves track & field compete in NCAA West Prelims starting Wednesday

Sixteen members of the Arkansas State track and field teams are set to compete for coveted bids to the national championships this week at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds, held Wednesday-Saturday in Sacramento, Calif.

A-State will field 19 entries in the four-day event at Hornet Stadium, marking the eighth consecutive season that the Red Wolves will have 14 or more entrants. The event pits the Scarlet and Black against the top athletes in the West Region, with the top 12 finishers in each event advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas.

Men will compete Wednesday and Friday, while the women are set to compete Thursday and Saturday. Portions of all four days will be broadcasted live on ESPN+, beginning at 8 p.m. CT Wednesday and Thursday. Friday and Saturday’s broadcasts are slated to start at 7 p.m. CT.

Two-time Sun Belt champion Aimar Palma Simo begins the week at noon CT in the hammer throw. He ranks 13th in the West with a mark of 68.94m (226-2).

Colby Eddowes will jump in the men’s long jump at 8 p.m and enters the week with a best jump of 7.75m (25-5.25).

Also at 8 p.m., Will Glass will race in the first round of the 110-meter hurdles, entering with a qualifying time of 13.75. At approximately 9:50 p.m., Hannes Fahl will compete in the first round of the 800 meters, owning a top time of 1:48.70. The top three finishers in each of the six heats, plus the next six best times, advance to Friday’s quarterfinal round.

At 8:30 p.m., conference champion Bradley Jelmert hopes to make nationals in his third trip to prelims in the men’s pole vault. The Watchung, N.J., native’s qualifying mark of 5.56m (18-2.75) is tied for fifth in the region.

The men’s shot put, featuring Willem Coertzen and Jacob Tracy, is set for a 9 p.m. CT start. Coertzen’s throw of 17.87m (58-7.5) is 40th among the competitors, while Tracy enters the week at 46th with a mark of 17.66m (57-11.25). Tracy will also compete in the men’s discus, set for 3 p.m. CT Friday. He boasts a top throw of 55.79m (183-0).

Thursday’s action begins at 8 p.m. with Camryn Newton-Smith in the long jump. Newton-Smith, who has already qualified for nationals in the heptathlon, enters with a top mark of 6.26m (20-6.5). She is also slated to compete in the high jump at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, owning a clearance of 1.78m (5-10).

Lauren Beauchamp will jump in the pole vault, slated for an 8:30 p.m. start, while Evangelynn Harris and Selase Sampram will throw in the shot put at 9 p.m. Beauchamp enters with a qualifying mark of 4.03m (13-2.5), while Harris and Sampram own shot put throws of 16.26m (53-4.25) and 16.16m (53-0.25), respectively.

Three Red Wolves will compete across four track events Thursday night, beginning with Jonae Cook in the first round of the 100 meters (9 p.m.) and 200 meters (10:45 p.m.). Cook qualified for the regional round with marks of 11.40 and 23.29. Cheyenne Melvin will run in the 800-meter first round at 9:50 p.m., entering with a top time of 2:06.38. Sun Belt Women’s Newcomer of the Year Jaybe Shufelberger will then close out the night in the 10,000 meters semifinal, set for an 11:10 p.m. CT start.

In addition to Newton-Smith in the high jump, Pauline Meyer will run in the 3000-meter steeplechase, set for a 7:40 p.m. start time. Quarterfinal rounds of the 100 meters (8:35 p.m.), 800 meters (9:05 p.m.) and 200 meters (9:50 p.m.) before Rahel Broemmel closes out the week in the 5000 meters semifinal at 10:10 p.m.

Meyer, who won the conference championship in her event, enters with a top steeplechase mark of 10:08.80 while Broemmel owns a time of 16:04.11 in the 5000 meters.

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For the latest on the A-State track and field and cross country programs, follow @AStateTrack on Twitter and @Arkansas_State_Track on Instagram, while also liking the team’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/AStateTrackAndField.

ARKANSAS STATE’S SCHEDULE AT THE 2023 NCAA WEST PRELIMINARY ROUNDS

All times CT

Wednesday, May 24

Noon M Hammer Throw (1st Round) Aimar Palma Simo

8 p.m. M 110-meter Hurdles (1st Round) Will Glass

M Long Jump (1st Round) Colby Eddowes

8:30 p.m. M Pole Vault (1st Round) Bradley Jelmert

9 p.m. M Shot Put (1st Round) Willem Coertzen Jacob Tracy

9:50 p.m. M 800 meters (1st Round) Hannes Fahl

Thursday, May 25

8 p.m. W Long Jump (1st Round) Camryn Newton-Smith

8:30 p.m. W Pole Vault (1st Round) Lauren Beauchamp