Cardinals Set for NCAA East Prelims

Thursday, May 27

Jacksonville, FL

All Day

University of Louisville

NCAA Prelims

May 25, 2021 | Track & Field

By: Lori Harmon

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville track and field program will begin competition at the 2021 NCAA Division I East Prelims which take place May 26-29 in Jacksonville, Fla., with the University of North Florida and the Jacksonville Sports Council serving as the hosts. Twenty-four athletes, 12 each for the men and women will represent the Cardinals.

The qualifiers will compete in the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships held June 9-12 in Eugene, Oregon.

NCAA Division I Outdoor East Preliminary Information
Dates May 26-29, 2021
Site: Jacksonville, Fla.; University of North Florida
Venue: Hodges Stadium
Live Results | Meet Central | Heat Sheets: Women | Men
Links to each day's live stream: Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday

The men will open the preliminary on Wednesday at 3 p.m. when Jeremiah Willis competes in the long jump and all-ACC second team performer Sean Roth takes part in the pole vault. Later in the evening All-ACC second team honoree Christian Buckley and Cade Richeson will represent the Cardinals in the shot put at 6 p.m. Louisville's final event on Wednesday will feature all-ACC performer Sterling Warner-Savage in the first round of 100m dash at 7 p.m.

The women's squad will begin competition on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. with the hammer throw which will feature 2019 second team All-American Makenli Forrest along with Halee Hudson – both were 2021 ACC second team performers. Following at 3 p.m. All-ACC second team performer Renate van Tonder will join teammate Alexis Gibbons in the long jump. At the same time, a trio of Cardinals including ACC pole vault champion Gabriela Leon, all-ACC second team performer Aliyah Welter and Auriane Viola will take part the pole vault. Rashida Harris will represent the Cardinals in the shot put at 6 p.m. Later in the evening, Brooke Raglin will run the 100m dash at 7 p.m.

In Thursday's final event, slated to start at 9:10 p.m. Purity Sanga, the ACC Outdoor Championship silver medalist will join Bailey Beery and Ivine Chemutai in the 10000m.

The men return to action on Friday at 1 p.m. as all-conference second team performer Trey Allen and Luke Nichols compete in the high jump followed by the discus at 1:30 p.m. which features all-ACC second team performer Adar Sheere as well as Bryan Hudson, Ethan Alyea and Jorge Contreras. Action continues at 6:10 p.m. ACC bronze medalist and 2019 All-American Albert Kosgei takes part in the 3000m steeplechase. The 100m quarterfinals are slated for a 7:05 p.m. start.

On Saturday at 1 p.m., Van Tonder compete in the high jump, for her second event of the weekend. The women's 100m quarterfinals will start at 7:05 p.m.

Cards in the NCAA Rankings
Louisville currently has seven athletes among the top 40 in the nation in their respective events:
Women
• Purity Sanga's silver medal run of 32:49.07 in the ACC Championships stands seventh in the nation.
• Gabriela Leon's pole vault of 4.278m (14-0.5) at the Clark Wood Invitational is 13th in the nation while Aliyah Welter's vault of 4.17m (13-8.25) stands tied for36th.
Men
• In the 3000 steeplechase, Albert Kosgei's ACC bronze medal time of 8:34.28 stands sixth in the nation.
• Trey Allen's clearance of 2.17m (7-1.5) in the Louisville Invitational is tied for 29^th nationally.
• Adar Sheere's discus throw mark of 57.29m (187-11) at the Tennessee Relays is currently No. 32 in the nation.
• Jeremiah Willis' long jump of 7.69m (25-2.75) in the Tennessee Relays stands tied for 39^h in the nation.