Six Track And Field Tigers On To NCAA Championships

Saturday, May 26

Tampa, Fla.

All Day

University of Memphis

NCAA East Preliminaries

Naaman Norment, 2017-18 Men's Track and Field

Photo by: Stacy White

Six Track And Field Tigers On To NCAA Championships

May 26, 2018 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

NCAA East Preliminaries (Saturday Results)

Two school records fall in Saturday action at the NCAA East Preliminaries.

TAMPA, Fla. – University of Memphis' Martina Rodriguez Sala led a contingent of six track and field Tigers that qualified for the NCAA Championships in final-day action at the NCAA East Preliminaries Saturday. USF hosted the three-day meet at its on-campus track and field stadium.

Rodriguez Sala and Michael Criticos were the Tigers' individual qualifiers Saturday. Rodriguez Sala punched the first ticket of her career to the NCAA Championships in the women's 1500 meters, and Criticos advanced to his third career national meet in the men's javelin (2015, 2017, 2018).

Joining Rodriguez Sala and Criticos in qualifying for the NCAA Championships was the men's 4x400-meter relay of Calvin Austin, Jarred Pasley, Ryan Champlin and Naaman Norment.

All six Tigers are scheduled to travel to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Championships June 6-9. Saturday's six qualifiers join Ashley Pryke (women's javelin), Rafael Vallery (men's discus) and Luke Vaughn (men's discus) in earning NCAA Championships berths.

Tigers Tidbits/NCAA East Preliminaries Saturday Highlights

In addition to six NCAA Championships qualifiers, two program records fell in Saturday action at the NCAA East Preliminaries. Both were improvements on records set earlier this season.
Martina Rodriguez Sala improved her own school record in the women's 1500 meters. She ran a program-record 4:16.09 Saturday. Her previous school record was 4:17.99 which she set at the Raleigh Relays in late March.
The 4x400-meter relay set a school record with a time of 3:08.13. The quartet of Calvin Austin, Jarred Pasley, Ryan Champlin and Naaman Norment improved on the previous school-record time of 3:08.51 that was set at the Texas Relays in late March. The relay team that ran in the Texas Relays broke a 40-year-old school record in the event.
Three of the four on the 4x400-meter relay – Calvin Austin, Naaman Norment and Jarred Pasley – are first-time NCAA Championships qualifiers. Ryan Champlin is making his second-straight trip to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. He was a member of TCU's 4x400-meter relay that ran in last year's national meet.

Memphis Men's Results
4x100m Relay (Quarterfinal) – Memphis, DNF (Davon DeMoss, Calvin Austin, Imri Persiado, Kolbeinn Gunnarsson)
4x400m Relay (Quarterfinal) – 11. Memphis, 3:08.13 (Calvin Austin, Jarred Pasley, Ryan Champlin, Naaman Norment)/advances to NCAA Championships
High Jump (First Round) – 16(t). Jordan Wesner, 6-9 (2.06m); 28(t). Noah Agnew, 6-9 (2.06m)
Triple Jump (First Round) – 43. Olushola Olojo, 46-11.5 (14.31m)
Shot Put (First Round) – 19. Luke Vaughn, 60-1 (18.31m); 26. Adam Neelly, 59-3.5 (18.07m); 27. Rafael Vallery, 58-10.25 (17.94m)
Javelin (First Round) – 4. Michael Criticos, 219-10 (67.02m)/advances to NCAA Championships

Memphis Women's Results
1500m (Quarterfinal) – 8. Martina Rodriguez Sala, 4:16.09/advances to NCAA Championships
Triple Jump (First Round) – 31. Saida Burns-Moore, 40-7.5 (12.38m)
Weight Throw (First Round) – 27. Mona Jaidi, 188-3 (57.38m)