ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF track and field team begins NCAA East Preliminary action on Thursday in Jacksonville.
Five members of the UCF track and field team, plus the 4x100 relay squad, will compete at the preliminary round May 23-25 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Gabby Durant makes her second straight regional appearance in the hammer throw on Thursday. Saving her best for last at The American Outdoor Championship, the senior posted a season-best 199-11/60.94m throw to earn her best hammer throw finish at the league’s outdoor championship – fourth. She enters the regional with the 34th-best mark in the event.
Making her first NCAA regional appearance, Ciara Holback has qualified to represent the Knights in both the 100- and 200-meter dash events. Holback’s 100m qualifying mark of 11.44 came at the Hurricane Alumni Invite on April 13. She nearly matched it (11.45) in the finals of The American Championship. The only Knight to qualify for the finals in both the 100m and 200m, she set a personal-best mark of 23.51 to earn third in the 200m at The American Championship.
Shaniya Williams joins Holback in the 100-meter dash. The sophomore qualified for her first regional with a personal-best mark of 11.59 at the Hurricane Alumni Invite on April 13.
Zharia Moore, in her first season at UCF, is set to compete in the 100-meter hurdles. The junior posted her season-best qualifying mark of 13.46 in the finals at the Tom Jones Memorial on April 27.
UCF’s 4x1 relay returns to the NCAA East Regional after posting a Cessna Stadium record mark of 44.17 to win the event at The American Championship. Since 2013, UCF has sent its 4x100 relay to the NCAA Championship four times.
For the fourth consecutive year, Jhane’ Carter represents the Black and Gold in the shot put. The senior’s third attempt of the afternoon at the America Athletic Conference Outdoor Championship landed at a season-best 50-2/15.29m. The mark not only secured fourth place finish for Carter at the conference meet, but it also qualified her with the 44th-best mark in the East Region.
A full preliminary round schedule, heat sheets and links to live results and video can be found here.