Track And Field Begins NCAA Postseason Thursday

Thursday, May 25

Lexington, Ky.

University of Memphis

NCAA East Preliminaries

Cera Chavez, 2016-17 Women's Track and Field

Photo by: Joe Murphy

May 24, 2017 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

2017 NCAA East Preliminaries Schedule

Tigers taking 17 athletes to NCAA Preliminaries in Lexington, Ky.

Live Results (Thursday-Saturday)
Thursday Live Stream (8 pm CT)
Friday Live Stream (4:30 pm CT)
Saturday Live Stream (5 pm CT)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Let the Madness in May begin.

The University of Memphis track and field squads – along with others across the country – start their journeys toward Eugene, Ore., and the site of the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships with preliminaries meets Thursday through Saturday, May 25-27.

The Tigers are competing at the NCAA East Preliminaries in Lexington, Ky. The University of Kentucky is hosting the NCAA East Preliminaries for the first time, and the school's Outdoor Track and Field Complex is the meet's site.

The 17 Tigers that start NCAA postseason action this week are:

Men (Event)	Women (Event)
Michael Criticos (javelin)	Dorina Baiker (pole vault)
Davon DeMoss (100m/200m/4x400m relay)	Dominique Chatman (400m/4x400m relay)
Kolbeinn Gunnarsson (200m/4x400m relay)	Cera Chavez (100m/200m/4x400m relay)
Naaman Norment (4x400m relay)	Chardae Greenlee (triple jump)
Christopher Walker (4x400m relay)	Rebeka Holt (4x400m relay)
Adam Neelly (shot put)	Destinee Lansden (4x400m relay)
Yannik Schaly (shot put)	Jada Parker (pole vault)
Rafael Vallery (shot put/discus)	Ashley Pryke (javelin)
Jordan Wesner (high jump)

Robinson on the NCAA East Preliminaries:
     "Every year, we raise our goals, and heading into this season, we set our goal to send 20 athletes to the preliminaries. We are sending 17, which is a solid number, and it's the second-largest group we've taken to the postseason. It speaks volumes for the program – where we are now and where we are going.
     "We had another handful of performers that just missed the cut, and we also had a couple that were past qualifiers, but injuries hurt their chances this season.
     "Now, that we're there, our focus switches to advancing to the NCAA Championships. I believe this group knows what it takes to advance, and they will step up to the challenge."

Tigers Tidbits/Five "What To Watch For":

17 are second-most: In his 11 seasons as head coach, Kevin Robinson is sending his second-largest contingent to the NCAA postseason with 17 athletes. Robinson's biggest postseason group was 19 that competed in the 2013 NCAA East Preliminaries. The last seven years (2011-17), Memphis is averaging 15 athletes that qualify for the postseason. It is the seventh-consecutive year and nine times in 11 seasons that Robinson had double-digit performers in the NCAA postseason.
NCAA Championships return trips: While many are vying for their first national meet appearances, two Tigers are looking for return trips to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Michael Criticos advanced to the 2015 NCAA Championships in the men's javelin, and Jordan Wesner competed in the men's high jump at the 2016 NCAA Championships. Criticos earned U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-America second team honors, and Wesner received USTFCCCA All-America honorable mention accolades.
Keep perfection intact: Sophomore Ashley Pryke enters postseason action with a streak of eight-straight women's javelin titles in 2017, including the American Athletic Conference crown. Pryke is a perfect 8-for-8 in women's javelin competitions this outdoor campaign. She entered 2017 with the school record in the event and re-set that record three times this season, improving the mark by over 20 feet (160-10 to 181-0). Pryke heads into the NCAA East Preliminaries with the seventh-best throw nationally (4^th in East).
Record holders representin': Six athletes heading to the NCAA East Preliminaries hold school records in their respective events. Davon DeMoss (men's 100m), Jordan Wesner (men's high jump), Cera Chavez (women's 200m) and Ashley Pryke (women's javelin) all set their marks in the 2017 campaign. Michael Criticos (men's javelin) posted his school record in 2016, and Chardae Greenlee (women's triple jump) in 2015.
Local flavor: Four athletes that call the Bluff City area home are representing the University of Memphis at the NCAA East Preliminaries this week. Dominique Chatman (Mitchell High School), Jada Parker (Houston) and Christopher Walker (Germantown) all call Memphis home, and Naaman Norment (Houston) is from Germantown. Another athlete from west Tennessee is Davon DeMoss (Madison Academic Magnet) from Jackson, which is 65 miles east of Memphis.