The Youngstown State men's and women's track and field teams are set for a busy four days at the NCAA Track and Field East Preliminaries in Jacksonville, Fla., at the University of North Florida's Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium.
The men will be in action on Wednesday and Friday while the women take center stage on Thursday and Saturday.
Representing the men at the meet are Luke Laubacher (110m hurdles, long jump), Tye Hunt (long jump), Micah Mitchell (110m hurdles), Sage Vavro (steeplechase) and Hunter Christopher (5,000m). Competing for the women are Esther Solarin (long jump, triple jump), Nia Williams-Matthews (triple jump), Ainsley Hamsher (pole vault) and Molly Radcliffe (discus).
Last year, Solarin and Laubacher advanced to the NCAA Championships from the event that was hosted by Kentucky. This year's NCAA finals are June 8-11 in Eugene, Oregon.
The men will have three athletes in action on Wednesday and at least two on Friday. The first round of the 110m hurdles is scheduled while the long jump will also be contested.
Laubacher will be busy running in heat two of six in the 110m hurdles starting at 6 p.m. and the long jump which begins at 4:30 p.m. He is in flight 1 of the long jump so should be able to make an easy transition to hurdles. Laubacher is one of onlly four athletes running the hurdles and competing in the long jump. Joining him are Ayden Bath (Kent State), Jayden Keys (Georgia) and Jeremiah Sims (Kennesaw State).
Mitchell is also in heat two of the 110m hurdles. The top three from each heat plus next six best times move onto Friday's quarterfinals.
Hunt returns to the NCAA prelims for the first time since May 2023 on Wednesday. He will be in flight four of the long jump. He placed 13th at the 2023 meet in Jacksonville. The top 12 marks will advance to the NCAA Championships. All participants have three attempts.
On Thursday, Hamsher makes her NCAA debut in the pole vault. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. and she is part of the second flight. The top 12 advance to the NCAA Championships.
On Friday, the quarterfinals of the 110m hurdles are set for 6:15 p.m. The top three from each heat plus the next best three times move on to Eugene. Last year, Laubacher was the last qualifier to make the meet.
The distance crew will be busy with the steeplechase (5:40 p.m.) and the 5,000m (8:10 p.m.) quarterfinals. Vavro will run in the first of three heats in the steeple. The top three from each heat plus the next best three times move on to Eugene. In the 5,000m, Chistopher will run in second heat. The top five finishers in each heat plus the next two best times will head to Eugene.
On Saturday, Solarin, Williams-Matthews and Radcliffe will be in action. Radcliffe with throw the discus at 1 p.m. while Solarin and Williams-Matthews are set to compete in the triple jump at 2:30 p.m.
Radcliffe is in flight one of four in the discus. Each athlete will have three attempts with the top 12 advancing to nationals.
Williams-Matthews is in flight three and Solarin is in flight four in the triple jump. Each athlete will have three attempts with the top 12 advancing to nationals. YSU is one of 14 schools with multiple athletes in the triple jump.
Schedule
Wednesday, May 28
4:30 p.m. – Men's Long Jump
6 p.m. – Men's 110m hurdles (first round)
Thursday, May 29
4:30 p.m. – Women's Long Jump
5:30 p.m. – Women's Pole Vault
Friday, May 30
5:40 p.m. – Men's Steeplechase
6:15 p.m. – Men's 110m Hurdles (Quarterfinals)
8:10 p.m. – Men's 5,000m
Saturday, May 31
1 p.m. – Women's Discus
2:30 p.m. – Women's Triple Jump
