17 Track and Field Student-Athletes Qualify for NCAA West Regionals
5/18/2023 10:36:00 AM | Track and Field
Long Beach State totaled 19 qualifying marks.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State track and field has 17 student-athletes post a total of 19 qualifying marks for next week's NCAA West Regional Championships. The finalized entry list was announced by the NCAA on Thursday.
Full Women's Entry List | Full Men's Entry List
This year the Beach had seven regional qualifiers in the individual sprints/hurdles events, the most for the program since the 2014 season. The women have four qualifiers while the men have three.
Rahni Turner and her school record (13.21) in the 100m Hurdles lead the way, ranking 22nd in the West Region. She is joined by Hailey Fune (13.59) in the event, ranking 46th. Freshman Alex Heerink-van Breda also joins the hurdles events after a lifetime-best 58.78 in the 400m Hurdles which ranks 29th in the region. The fourth woman set to compete is sprints captain Kaitlyn Williams in the 100m Dash. Her time of 11.48 is 46th in the region.
On the men's team, Caleb Roberson owns the 21st best 400m Hurdle time in the West Region. The first-year Long Beach sprinter posted a 51.11 at the Big West Championships. Joining him is Mekhi Mays in the 200m and Tristyn Flores in the 100m. The junior, Mays, ranks 40th in the West while Flores, in his freshman year of competition, ranks 48th.
A trio of distance runners will be heading to Sacramento next week for the regionals meet. Two-time defending Big West 800m and 3000m Steeplechase champion will make her second NCAAs appearance in the steeple along with her first appearance in the 800m. Her season best and school record mark of 10:12.84 in the steeple has her ranked number 29 in the region while her 2:07.40 has her at 45 in the 800m.
The men's team will send two runners in Kash Powell and Mohammed Mohamed, both competing in the 800m. Powell (1:47.57) ranks 14th in the nation and will make his first NCAA appearance while Mohamed (1:48.49) ranks 30th and will make his second NCAA appearance.
It is now back-to-back seasons with the Beach having three distance runners qualify for the regionals meet.
For the second straight season, Sebastian Coleman is a two-event qualifier in both men's Discus and Hammer. The double-event defending Big West champion ranks 15th in the West Region for Discus (194-9) and 27th in Hammer (212-5). The senior captain is one of three men's throwers as he is joined by TJ Wiggins in Discus and Pablo Gamez in Hammer. Wiggins ranks 30th (186-8) while Gamez ranks 42nd (204-5).
On the women's side, Rori Denness-Lamont will represent the Beach in the Javelin throw. Despite a late start to her first year of competition, she made an immediate impact and posted a lifetime-best 156-2 throw at the Big West Championships. That mark ranks 40th in the West Region.
This marks the fourth consecutive season that Long Beach State will have at least three throwers qualify for the West Regionals.
In the jumps, the duo of Elijah Harris and Novye James will both compete in the men's Triple Jump. James (50-8.75) ranks 32nd in the event while Harris (50-2) sits at number 39 in the rankings. Also in the men's jumps events is Cyprus Rice in the Pole Vault. With a mark of 5.16m (16-11) back in April, he ranks 38th in the region.
The jumps continue to be a strength for the LBSU program with 15 consecutive years of at least three regional qualifiers among Pole Vault, Long Jump, High Jump, and Triple Jump. Rice is the first pole vaulter to qualify for the Beach since 2017.
"There is a trend in the Big West showing tremendous depth in the top 95 in the West region," said Director of Track and Field, Andy Sythe. "Our conference is showing a high number of athletes on the verge of breaking into the NCAA post-season and that excites us because improved competition makes us all better and drives our program and athletes to stay in front of that curve."
The Big West, as a whole, advanced 25% more qualifiers to the NCAA West Preliminaries than in 2022. The number of Big West qualifiers increased for the third year in a row showing the rapid growth of Big West track & field. Long Beach State led the way with 17 student-athletes and 19 different marks.
The West Regionals will take place Wednesday, May 24 through Saturday, May 27 in Sacramento. All the info for the meet can be found HERE.
Full Women's Entry List | Full Men's Entry List
This year the Beach had seven regional qualifiers in the individual sprints/hurdles events, the most for the program since the 2014 season. The women have four qualifiers while the men have three.
Rahni Turner and her school record (13.21) in the 100m Hurdles lead the way, ranking 22nd in the West Region. She is joined by Hailey Fune (13.59) in the event, ranking 46th. Freshman Alex Heerink-van Breda also joins the hurdles events after a lifetime-best 58.78 in the 400m Hurdles which ranks 29th in the region. The fourth woman set to compete is sprints captain Kaitlyn Williams in the 100m Dash. Her time of 11.48 is 46th in the region.
On the men's team, Caleb Roberson owns the 21st best 400m Hurdle time in the West Region. The first-year Long Beach sprinter posted a 51.11 at the Big West Championships. Joining him is Mekhi Mays in the 200m and Tristyn Flores in the 100m. The junior, Mays, ranks 40th in the West while Flores, in his freshman year of competition, ranks 48th.
A trio of distance runners will be heading to Sacramento next week for the regionals meet. Two-time defending Big West 800m and 3000m Steeplechase champion will make her second NCAAs appearance in the steeple along with her first appearance in the 800m. Her season best and school record mark of 10:12.84 in the steeple has her ranked number 29 in the region while her 2:07.40 has her at 45 in the 800m.
The men's team will send two runners in Kash Powell and Mohammed Mohamed, both competing in the 800m. Powell (1:47.57) ranks 14th in the nation and will make his first NCAA appearance while Mohamed (1:48.49) ranks 30th and will make his second NCAA appearance.
It is now back-to-back seasons with the Beach having three distance runners qualify for the regionals meet.
For the second straight season, Sebastian Coleman is a two-event qualifier in both men's Discus and Hammer. The double-event defending Big West champion ranks 15th in the West Region for Discus (194-9) and 27th in Hammer (212-5). The senior captain is one of three men's throwers as he is joined by TJ Wiggins in Discus and Pablo Gamez in Hammer. Wiggins ranks 30th (186-8) while Gamez ranks 42nd (204-5).
On the women's side, Rori Denness-Lamont will represent the Beach in the Javelin throw. Despite a late start to her first year of competition, she made an immediate impact and posted a lifetime-best 156-2 throw at the Big West Championships. That mark ranks 40th in the West Region.
This marks the fourth consecutive season that Long Beach State will have at least three throwers qualify for the West Regionals.
In the jumps, the duo of Elijah Harris and Novye James will both compete in the men's Triple Jump. James (50-8.75) ranks 32nd in the event while Harris (50-2) sits at number 39 in the rankings. Also in the men's jumps events is Cyprus Rice in the Pole Vault. With a mark of 5.16m (16-11) back in April, he ranks 38th in the region.
The jumps continue to be a strength for the LBSU program with 15 consecutive years of at least three regional qualifiers among Pole Vault, Long Jump, High Jump, and Triple Jump. Rice is the first pole vaulter to qualify for the Beach since 2017.
"There is a trend in the Big West showing tremendous depth in the top 95 in the West region," said Director of Track and Field, Andy Sythe. "Our conference is showing a high number of athletes on the verge of breaking into the NCAA post-season and that excites us because improved competition makes us all better and drives our program and athletes to stay in front of that curve."
The Big West, as a whole, advanced 25% more qualifiers to the NCAA West Preliminaries than in 2022. The number of Big West qualifiers increased for the third year in a row showing the rapid growth of Big West track & field. Long Beach State led the way with 17 student-athletes and 19 different marks.
The West Regionals will take place Wednesday, May 24 through Saturday, May 27 in Sacramento. All the info for the meet can be found HERE.
Players Mentioned
Throws
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Throws
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Sprints
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Multi
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Throws
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Sprints/Jumps
/ Track and Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Sprints
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Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Jumps
/ Track and Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints/Jumps
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