Track And Field Sends 17 To NCAA Postseason

Kolbeinn Gunnarsson, 2016-17 Men's Track and Field

Photo by: Andrew Richardson

May 19, 2017 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

NCAA East Preliminaries are May 25-27 in Lexington, Ky.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – For the seventh-straight year and nine times in his 11 seasons, University of Memphis head coach Kevin Robinson is carrying double-digit track and field performers to the NCAA postseason. On Friday, 17 Tigers learned they earned trips to next week's 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 NCAA East Preliminaries are set for May 25-27.

The 17 Tigers heading to the NCAA postseason 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)

Tigers Tidbits On NCAA East Preliminaries qualifiers:

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 largest 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.
Back-to-back: Seven of the Tigers' 17 postseason qualifiers are making return trips to the NCAA East Preliminaries. Those performers returning to the NCAA East Preliminaries are: Dorina Baiker, Michael Criticos, Davon DeMoss, Chardae Greenlee, Ashley Pryke, Rafael Vallery and Jordan Wesner.
First-timers: For the first time in his tenure (since 2006-07), head coach Kevin Robinson had athletes qualify in three different events for the NCAA postseason. Sophomore Davon DeMoss and freshman Cera Chavez each qualified for the 100 and 200 meters and the 4x400 meter relay on the men's and women's side, respectively. It also is the first time Memphis had athletes qualify in three separate events since the NCAA went to the preliminaries format for its 2012 postseason.
Another first: Head coach Kevin Robinson has a strong history of placing throwers in the NCAA postseason, but he hit another first with this year's group. Three of Robinson's pupils – Adam Neelly, Yannik Schaly and Rafael Vallery – all qualified for the men's shot put. It is the first time in Robinson's coaching career that he has three throwers qualify for the NCAA postseason in the shot put.
Record holders representin': Six athletes heading to next week's 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.