NCAA East Prelims on Deck for Alabama

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Alabama track and field teams are set to compete at the NCAA East Preliminary Round, May 24-27, at North Florida’s Jax Track at Hodges Stadium.

The NCAA East Preliminary Rounds are the first two rounds of the NCAA Championships, as the top 12 student-athletes in each event final, plus the top 12 from the West Preliminary Rounds, will advance to the semifinal and final rounds of the NCAA Championships, held in Austin, Texas (June 7-10).

The men’s team will compete Wednesday and Friday, while the women’s competition will be held Thursday and Saturday. Preliminary action on the track for the men’s and women’s competitions will be Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

The Crimson Tide will open the meet Wednesday morning (9 a.m. CT) in the men’s hammer throw. The first preliminary track event for Alabama will be the men’s 1,500-meter run at 5:30 p.m.

Both Alabama programs will enter Jacksonville, Fla., nationally ranked in the top 20, with the men sitting at No. 5 and the women at No. 19.

NCAA East Preliminaries

• Bobby Colantonio Jr. will open the preliminary meet on Wednesday in the men’s hammer throw at 9 a.m. CT, with the last event of the day featuring Victor Kiprop in the men’s 10,000-meter run (8:10 p.m.)
• The men’s program will compete in eight total events on the opening day of the NCAA preliminary meet
• The women are traveling 15 to Jacksonville, while the men’s travel list is 18 strong
• Alabama enters the meet ranked in the top 15, nationally, in the men’s 400m hurdles (No. 2), the men’s 400m (No. 8) and the women’s 100m (No. 15)
• Top-15 nationally ranked UA men’s events include:

  • Tarsis Orogot – No. 1, 200m and No. 12, 100m | Khaleb McRae – No. 14, 400m | Eliud Kipsang – No. 8, 1,500m | Victor Kiprop – No. 2, 10,000m | Chris Robinson – No. 2, 400m hurdles | Corde Long – No. 9, 400m hurdles | Robinson McRae, Orogot, Long – No. 2, 4×400-meter relay | Christian Edwards – No. 14, triple jump | Alan de Falchi – No. 12, discus | Bobby Colantonio Jr. – No. 11, hammer throw

• Top-15 nationally ranked UA women’s events include:

  • Flomena Asekol – No. 12, 1,500m | Mercy Chelangat – No. 2, 10,000m and No. 4, 5,000m | Hilda Olemomoi – No. 4, 10,000m and No. 6, 5,000m | Chelsea Igberaese – No. 9, shot put and No. 12, discus

Last Time Out

• The Crimson Tide won a total of 11 event medals at the SEC Outdoor…