LEXINGTON, S.C. – Sophomore Ryan Adams and junior Allie Buchalski qualified for the NCAA Championships Saturday in the final day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships East Preliminaries, which were hosted by the University of Kentucky, in Louisville, Ky.

Adams finished seventh in the quarterfinals of the 1,500m with a time of 3:47.32 to punch his ticket through to the semifinals, which will be held June 7 in Eugene, Ore.  On Thursday, he placed tenth with a time of 3:50.37 in the first round of the event to advance to the quarterfinals.  Adams, who hails from Hudson, Ohio, entered the event ranked 15th in the East with a top time of 3:42.90 this season.  The Paladin record holder with a time of 3:42.25, he notched his qualifying time at the Raleigh Relays in March.  

Buchalski placed fourth with a time of 16:08.92 in the 5,000m to reach the finals, which are scheduled for June 10 in Eugene.  Buchalski, who hails from Johns Creek, Ga., entered the race with the top time in the East, 15:35.55, a new Paladin record which she set in March at the Raleigh Relays.  Freshman Savannah Carnahan, a native of Cumming, Ga., entered the race ranked 43rd with a time of 16:21.18, but moved up to finish 20th in the event with a time of 16:46.68 on Saturday. 

In the men's 5,000m, freshman Mason Coppi, who hails from Dana Point, Calif., finished 22nd with a time of 14:32.62.  Coppi notched a time of 14:10.60 in the 5,000m at the Virginia Challenge to qualify for the prelims, and moved up over 40 spots at the prelims. 

Previously at the preliminaries, junior Troy Reeder won his heat and placed eighth overall Friday to advance in the men's 3,000m Steeplechase.  Reeder, a native of Fishers, Ind., recorded a time of 8:44.48 to take first in his heat and reach the semifinals, which will be held June 7.  He entered the event with the top time in the East, 8:40.57, which he posted at the Stanford Invitational in March to qualify.  Reeder holds the Furman record of 8:36.51 in the event.  

Freshman Gabrielle Jennings, a native of Sidell, La., finished sixth in her heat and 18th overall with a time of 10:15.12 in the women's 3,000m Steeplechase, knocking 10 seconds off her personal best.  Jennings, who posted a time of 10:25.02 in the event at the Raleigh Relays to qualify, entered the event ranked 41st in the East but moved up 23 spots in the preliminaries.

On Thursday, junior Frank Lara finished 11th in the semifinals of the 10,000m to punch his ticket to the NCAA Championships.  Lara, who hails from Houston, Texas, ran at the front of the pack throughout the 10,000m, posting a time of 30:04.28 to advance to the finals, which will be held June 7.  Junior Josh Brickell finished 16th, just four spots shy of the cut, with a time of 30:24.20, while junior Tanner Hinkle, who holds the Paladin record of 29:15.99 in the event, crossed the line in 30:42.99 to take 23rd place.

Three Bulldogs Qualify for NCAA Outdoor Championships

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Samford had three student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships through their performances at the NCAA East Regional, held at the Kentucky Outdoor Track and Field Complex, Thursday through Saturday.
 
Karisa Nelson qualified for the championships in the women's 1,500 meters. Arsène Guillorel qualified in the men's 10,000 meters, and Keyth Fightmaster qualified in the men's high jump.
 
Nelson ran her race in 4:11.86, finishing third, with the top 12 advancing to the championships. Guillorel came in second in the 10,000 meters with a time of 29:56.20. Fightmaster had a jump of 2.10 meters to finish 10^th in the men's high jump.
 
Nelson, Guillorel and Fightmaster will compete in the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships held June 7-10 in Eugene, Oregon.
 
A school-record total of 12 Samford student-athletes competed in the NCAA Regional. A full list of Samford's results is below.
 
SAMFORD RESULTS
 
Women's 1,500m
Karisa Nelson: 3^rd, 4:11.86 (Qualified for NCAA Championships)
 
Women's High Jump
Courtney Prengaman: 26^th, 1.69m
Selena Popp: 30^th, 1.69m
 
Women's 3,000m Steeplechase
Emma Garner: 16^th, 10:13.60
 
Women's 100m
Tonia McKinley: 45^th, 12.11
 
Men's Long Jump
Marquis Barnes: 26^th, 7.21m
 
Men's High Jump
Keyth Fightmaster: 10^th, 2.10m (Qualified for NCAA Championships)
 
Men's 10,000m
Arsène Guillorel: 2^nd, 29:56.20 (Qualified for NCAA Championships)
 
Men's 800m
Brandon Hazouri: 39^th, 1:52.95
 
Men's Pole Vault
Tray Oates: 22^nd, 5.15m
Gavin Gautreau: 39^th, 4.85m
 
Men's 100m
Emmanuel Tait: 43^rd, 10.58

Western Carolina's Hailey Cook Places 35th in Women's Shot Put

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior Hailey Cook concluded her illustrious Western Carolina track & field career Saturday evening at the NCAA East Preliminary Round in Lexington, Ky., as she competed in the shot put for the third-straight year. Cook is one of the most decorated track & field student-athletes in Western Carolina history and wrapped up her career with a 35th-place finish at the NCAA competition.

Cook entered the competition on Saturday as the 43rd ranked thrower in the East region and she improved on that standing with a toss of 14.94m (49-00.25) after a long lighting delay to place 35th. Raven Saunders from Ole Miss won the event with a mark of 18.04m (59-02.25).

Cook finished ahead of competitors from Akron, Bowling Green, Georgia State, Maryland, N.C. State, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Southern Mississippi, Tennessee, Towson, Tulane and Western Kentucky.

The Hendersonville, N.C., native is a six-time Southern Conference Athlete of the Month including three times as an outdoor competitor and three times during the indoor season. The three outdoor Field Athlete of the Month honors for Cook tie her for most all-time in SoCon history with former Catamount thrower Alisha Bradshaw while her three indoor honors tie her for most all-time in SoCon history with former Catamount Tayla Carter. Cook is also a five-time SoCon outdoor athlete of the week honoree. She picked up one honor as a sophomore, two as a junior and two as a senior. Cook is now tied with Furman's Allie Buchalski as the only five-time weekly award winners in SoCon history since they began giving out the awards in 2003.