Troy University Athletics
Select Trojans Head to Atlanta
5/13/2010 10:00:00 PM | Track & Field
TROY, Ala. - With just two weeks before the start of the NCAA East Regional Meet in Greensboro, North Carolina; the Troy University track and field program hits the road to Atlanta this weekend for the Georgia Tech Invitational.
The program will be taking select student-athletes to the meet to solidify their standing among the top 48 in the region with several conference championship meets over the next two weeks, or to qualify them into the top 48.
In the past, student-athletes were given marks by the NCAA to hit in order to qualify for the region; while this season, they have gone to a ranking system. There are only two regions in the country now, as it split down the middle into an East Region and West Region. Each region is allowed to take the top 48 student-athletes in each event in their region, with no exceptions. There will be two rounds at each region, with 16 of those student-athletes advancing to the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor National Championships in Eugene, Oregon the first week in June.
Several of the student-athletes the Trojans are taking this weekend are almost guaranteed a spot in the region, even though there are conference meets during that time.
Senior Tiphanie Baker, the Sun Belt Conference champion in the discus and hammer, currently stands at 16th in the region in the hammer with a throw of 58.36 meters (191-06.00). She is also tied for 14th in the region in the discus with a mark of 51.79 meters (169-11.00). On the men's side, freshman Cody Bahrke will try and break into the top 48 this weekend, as well as hit a junior national mark in the hammer as he stands at 151st in the region currently with a mark of 50.62 meters (166-01.00). The mark to hit for Bahrke currently stands at 58.65 meters to get into the top 48.
Meanwhile, the team will take a pair of javelin throwers this weekend. On the women's side, Lizzie Clough looks to improve her ranking of 13th in the region with a mark of 46.70 meters (153-02.00) While on the men's side, sophomore Mackenzie Howell is looking to get into the top 48, as he is currently 52nd overall with a throw of 62.23 meters (204-02.00). With no other changes in the top 48, the mark to hit for Howell to get into the region is 63.11 meters (207-01.00)
Juniors Latoya Ragland and Naquita Rowe will look to make moves in the 100-meter hurdles on Friday night. Ragland is on the edge of a region berth as she sits 44th overall in the East Region with a time of 13.73 seconds run earlier in the season at Auburn, while Rowe is looking to get into the top 48 and improve on her time of 13.77 seconds - which ranks 50th in the East Region.
Antonio McLeod will be running in two events on the weekend, looking to break into the top 48 in one and solidify his spot in the other. McLeod is currently just inside the top 48 in the 100-meters, with a time of 10.48 seconds. In order to solidify his standing, McLeod needs to run a time of 10.47 seconds to at least get into the top 40 with the other conference meets still in the running. Meanwhile, he will team with Neko Freeman, Payton McGhee and Burke Leonce to improve the standing for the 4x100-meter relay team on Saturday afternoon.
Freshman Veronica Bryant, the conference champion in the high jump, will look to crack the top 48 in the high jump as well as set a junior national mark for later in the summer. She currently sits 55th overall with a clearance of 1.72 meters (5-07.75).
Several other student-athletes will make the trip in search of junior national marks. The meet starts Friday afternoon and concludes on Saturday evening. Results will be posted on TroyTrojans.com once they become available.
The program will be taking select student-athletes to the meet to solidify their standing among the top 48 in the region with several conference championship meets over the next two weeks, or to qualify them into the top 48.
In the past, student-athletes were given marks by the NCAA to hit in order to qualify for the region; while this season, they have gone to a ranking system. There are only two regions in the country now, as it split down the middle into an East Region and West Region. Each region is allowed to take the top 48 student-athletes in each event in their region, with no exceptions. There will be two rounds at each region, with 16 of those student-athletes advancing to the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor National Championships in Eugene, Oregon the first week in June.
Several of the student-athletes the Trojans are taking this weekend are almost guaranteed a spot in the region, even though there are conference meets during that time.
Senior Tiphanie Baker, the Sun Belt Conference champion in the discus and hammer, currently stands at 16th in the region in the hammer with a throw of 58.36 meters (191-06.00). She is also tied for 14th in the region in the discus with a mark of 51.79 meters (169-11.00). On the men's side, freshman Cody Bahrke will try and break into the top 48 this weekend, as well as hit a junior national mark in the hammer as he stands at 151st in the region currently with a mark of 50.62 meters (166-01.00). The mark to hit for Bahrke currently stands at 58.65 meters to get into the top 48.
Meanwhile, the team will take a pair of javelin throwers this weekend. On the women's side, Lizzie Clough looks to improve her ranking of 13th in the region with a mark of 46.70 meters (153-02.00) While on the men's side, sophomore Mackenzie Howell is looking to get into the top 48, as he is currently 52nd overall with a throw of 62.23 meters (204-02.00). With no other changes in the top 48, the mark to hit for Howell to get into the region is 63.11 meters (207-01.00)
Juniors Latoya Ragland and Naquita Rowe will look to make moves in the 100-meter hurdles on Friday night. Ragland is on the edge of a region berth as she sits 44th overall in the East Region with a time of 13.73 seconds run earlier in the season at Auburn, while Rowe is looking to get into the top 48 and improve on her time of 13.77 seconds - which ranks 50th in the East Region.
Antonio McLeod will be running in two events on the weekend, looking to break into the top 48 in one and solidify his spot in the other. McLeod is currently just inside the top 48 in the 100-meters, with a time of 10.48 seconds. In order to solidify his standing, McLeod needs to run a time of 10.47 seconds to at least get into the top 40 with the other conference meets still in the running. Meanwhile, he will team with Neko Freeman, Payton McGhee and Burke Leonce to improve the standing for the 4x100-meter relay team on Saturday afternoon.
Freshman Veronica Bryant, the conference champion in the high jump, will look to crack the top 48 in the high jump as well as set a junior national mark for later in the summer. She currently sits 55th overall with a clearance of 1.72 meters (5-07.75).
Several other student-athletes will make the trip in search of junior national marks. The meet starts Friday afternoon and concludes on Saturday evening. Results will be posted on TroyTrojans.com once they become available.
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