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Track & Field Teams Set for NCAA Prelims

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Track & Field Teams Set for NCAA Prelims

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The LSU Track & Field teams are ready for the start of the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend as they make the trip to the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds scheduled to begin Thursday.

The No. 1-ranked Lady Tigers and No. 4-ranked Tigers will compete with their eye on earning their place in the national semifinals as the NCAA East Prelims run through Saturday in Jacksonville.

North Florida’s Hodges Stadium will serve as one of two host sites for the NCAA Preliminary Rounds for the weekend as the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds are also set to begin Thursday with a return to Mike A. Myers Stadium at the University of Texas in Austin for the second time in three seasons.

The NCAA Selection Committee accepted the top 48 performers in each individual event and the top 24 relay teams in both relays to compete at each site hosting the NCAA Preliminary Rounds, for a total of 96 individuals and 48 relays competing in all events nationwide with the goal of moving on to the semifinals.

LSU has qualified a total of 58 entries into the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds between the teams, which includes 31 entries for the men and 27 entries for the women this weekend.

When competing in the NCAA Preliminary Rounds, the top 12 finishers in each open and relay event will qualify for the national semifinal and final rounds of the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships to be held at Drake Stadium at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 6-9.

“This is the time of year our athletes look toward from that first day back in the fall when they begin their training and preparing for the season. This is the time we start competing for a national championship,” said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. “Both of our teams have had really outstanding seasons to this point as we get ready to compete this weekend, but this is the time of year that is always remembered.

“We need to be ready to compete from the moment we line it up tomorrow. It’s simple. Only the top 12 in each event at this meet will go to Des Moines. I know our athletes understand that.”

Both the Tigers and Lady Tigers are among the national championship contenders this year as the women are ranked No. 1 for the second week in a row and the men are up to No. 4 in this week’s national ranking released Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The Lady Tigers most recently defended their Southeastern Conference crown on their home track, taking their third-straight SEC Outdoor title and fifth in six seasons at the 2012 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium in Baton Rouge. With their win, the Lady Tigers won their 13th SEC Outdoor title and their 25th SEC team title between the indoor and outdoor seasons.

The Tigers took a second-place finish in the final men’s standings at the SEC Outdoor Championships for the fourth time in six years to move into the No. 4 spot in the national rankings this week.

The University of North Florida will provide both live results and the live video stream of the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds on its official athletics website at www.unfospreys.com.

Fans can also follow up-to-the-minute and behind-the-scenes coverage of the Tigers and Lady Tigers here at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds by liking LSU Track & Field on Facebook and by following @LSUTrackField on Twitter. Fans are also invited to join in the conversation on Twitter this weekend by using the hashtag #NCAAD1E in their tweets throughout the championship.

LSU’s Entries for the 2012 NCAA East Preliminary Rounds

MEN
Athlete, Event, Time/Mark (Region Rank)
Ade Alleyne-Forte, 400 meters, 46.50 (23)
Shermund Allsop, 100 meters, 10.37w (T31)
Shermund Allsop, 200 meters, 20.92w (27)
Kyron Blaise, Long Jump, 25-11 ½ (6)
Kyron Blaise, Triple Jump, 54-1 ¼ (2)
Rodney Brown, Discus, 190-8 (2)
Joseph Caraway, Pole Vault, 17-0 ¾ (T25)
Quincy Downing, 400 meters, 46.88 (31)
Andreas Duplantis, Pole Vault, 17-4 ½ (T12)
Aaron Ernest, 100 meters, 10.15w (6)
Aaron Ernest, 200 meters, 20.39w (4)
Damar Forbes, Long Jump, 26-8 ¼ (1)
Riker Hylton, 400 meters, 46.05 (15)
Jaora Johnson, Pole Vault, 16-8 ¾ (T40)
Michael Lauro, Hammer, 217-10 (5)
Philip LeBlanc, Javelin, 208-1 (T44)
Aaron Moore, Javelin, 229-6 (15)
Barrett Nugent, 110 hurdles, 13.37w (2)
Rynell Parson, 100 meters, 10.36 (T27)
Thomas Reinecke, Pole Vault, 17-4 ½ (T12)
Ryan Roubion, Javelin, 214-5 (31)
Trevor Sansone, 100 meters, 10.43w (T42)
Howard Shepard, 800 meters, 1:48.47 (10)
Robert Simmons, 400 meters, 45.99 (13)
Keyth Talley, 100 meters, 10.28w (T16)
Keyth Talley, 200 meters, 20.91 (T25)
James Thurn, 800 meters, 1:49.53 (T32)
Jeremy Tuttle, Javelin, 227-6 (17)
Caleb Williams, 400 meters, 45.79 (8)
Nugent, Ernest, Talley, Allsop; 4×100 relay; 39.49 (5)
Downing, Simmons, Alleyne-Forte, Hylton; 4×400 relay; 3:03.20 (3)

WOMEN
Athlete, Event, Time/Mark (Region Rank)
Rebecca Alexander, 400 meters, 51.83 (2)
Tori Bliss, Shot Put, 51-7 (21)
Laura Carleton, 5,000 meters, 16:28.08 (27)
Jonique Day, 400 meters, 52.72 (12)
Kimberlyn Duncan, 100 meters, 10.94w (1)
Kimberlyn Duncan, 200 meters, 22.12w (1)
Semoy Hackett, 100 meters, 11.10 (4)
Semoy Hackett, 200 meters, 22.74w (2)
Shanekia Hall, 100 hurdles, 13.29w (12)
Karen Henning, Hammer, 197-2 (14)
Siedda Herbert, 400 meters, 53.59 (29)
Denise Hinton, Hammer, 191-5 (19)
Brieanna Kennedy, Discus, 163-6 (25)
Brieanna Kennedy, Hammer, 205-3 (6)
Rachel Laurent, Pole Vault, 13-11 ¾ (4)
Samantha Levin, 800 meters, 2:07.40 (33)
Charlene Lipsey, 800 meters, 2:02.60 (1)
Latoya McDermott, 400 meters, 53.76 (T35)
Takeia Pinckney, 100 meters, 11.35 (12)
Lynnika Pitts, Long Jump, 20-5 ¾w (T13)
Brittany Porter, Long Jump, 20-9 ¼w (9)
Annie Simoneaux, Javelin, 157-11 (11)
Samia Stokes, Discus, 181-0 (5)
Jasmin Stowers, 100 hurdles, 12.92 (4)
Cassandra Tate, 400 hurdles, 56.82 (4)
Pinckney, Hackett, Alexander, Duncan; 4×100 relay; 42.99 (1)
McDermott, Alexander, Tate, Day; 4×400 relay; 3:29.25 (1)