May 25, 2011

Schedule of Events | Heat Sheets | Bracket
NCAA East Prelims Central | Live Results

OXFORD, Ohio - Looking to clinch a spot in the NCAA Championships, five RedHawks on the Miami University women's track and field team will travel to Bloomington, Ind. for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds Thursday, May 26 to Saturday, May 28. The NCAA East Preliminary Rounds take place at Indiana University's Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex and begin with 48 competitors in each event.

Freshman Tori Paterra (Elizabeth, Pa.) is the highest-ranked RedHawk at the NCAA Prelims as she ranks fourth regionally in the javelin (and 16th nationally) with her school-record throw of 49.91m/163-9, which she fired back at the season-opening Vanderbilt Black & Gold Invitational. The lone Mid-American Conference athlete in the event, she competes at noon on Friday, May 27 and needs to finish in the top 12 to advance to the NCAA Championships.

Redshirt junior Rachel Patterson (Rochester, Mich.), who is making her second straight appearance at NCAA Regionals, qualified in the 5000m run, ranking 15th in the East with her school-record time of 16:14.45, which she clocked April 14 at the Mt. SAC Relays in California. She runs in the 5K semifinals Saturday, May 28 at 8:05 p.m. and is lone MAC representative in the race. The top 12 finishers in the event advance directly to the NCAA Championships.

Junior Alexandra Roberts (Hilliard, Ohio), who participated in the shot put at last year's NCAA Regionals, qualified in two events this year - the shot put and the discus. She ranks 33rd regionally in the shot put with her school-record heave of 15.20m/49-10.5, which she threw April 9 at the Miami Invitational. In the discus, Roberts sits 40th in the East with a toss of 48.72m/159-10, which she recorded at the MAC Championships two weekends ago. She will throw the shot put Friday, May 27 at 1 p.m. and the discus the following day at 11 a.m. Roberts is one of four MAC athletes in the shot put and one of eight in the discus and will need to place in the top 12 overall in either event to move on to the NCAA Championships.

Senior Katie Lenahan (Cincinnati, Ohio) is making her third straight trip to Regionals in the 800m, qualifying 44th with a time of 2:08.68, which she clocked May 6 at the Billy Hayes Invitational. One of two MAC competitors in the event, she runs in the first round Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. and if she finishes in the top three in her heat or has one of the top 24 times, she'll race again in the quarterfinals on Friday at 6:30 p.m., again needing a top-three finish in her heat or a top-12 time overall in the quarterfinals to advance to the NCAA Championships.

Junior Samantha Gable (Greenfield, Ind.) qualified 45th in the hammer throw with her heave of 55.25m/181-3, which she tossed April 8 at the Miami Invitational. She will be the first RedHawk to compete at the East Regional, taking part in the hammer throw on Thursday, May 26 at 11 a.m. as one of seven MAC athletes entered in the event. She needs a top-12 finish to advance to the NCAA Championships.

The top 12 finishers in each event at the East and West Preliminary Rounds then move on to the NCAA Championships, which are hosted by Drake University from June 8-11 in Des Moines, Iowa. The field for the Preliminary Rounds was determined based on times/marks recorded throughout the season with the top 48 athletes in each event in both the East and West regions qualifying for the opening round(s) of the NCAA Championships.

--MURedHawks.com--