SAN MARCOS, Texas – Twenty Bobcats are set to represent the Texas State Track and Field team at the 2024 NCAA West Preliminary Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The four-day meet begins Wednesday and continues into Saturday.
 
How Athletes Qualify for Nationals 
The NCAA West Prelims consist of the top-48 athletes in each individual event and the top-24 teams in each relay. For the individual running events, the first round of competition will take place on Wednesday for the men and Thursday for the women. 
 
The athletes that place in the top 24 of the first round will move onto the quarterfinals, which take place Friday for the men and Saturday for the women. Athletes who place in the top 12 of their events in the quarterfinals, will earn a spot at the 2024 NCAA National Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
 
The quarterfinals for the relays, consisting of the top-24 relay teams from the West Region, will take place Friday for the men and Saturday for the Women. The top-12 relay teams in each event will earn a spot at the National Championships. 
 
The field events consist of the top-48 athletes from the NCAA West Region, however there is only one round of competition for each field event. To qualify for Nationals in their field event, an athlete must place in the top 12. 
 
Continuing Success
The Texas State Track and Field Team looks to continue its streak of sending athletes to the National Championship meet. The men's squad has been represented at the past three National Championships, while the women's squad has been represented the past two seasons. 
 
Bobcats Ranked in the Top 12 
Heading into the meet, there are five individual Bobcats and one relay team ranked inside the top 12. 
 
The highest ranked Bobcat, Elisabet Runarsdottir, comes into the meet ranked No. 1 in the women's hammer throw. Runarsdottir is looking to become the first member of the women's team to qualify for the National Championship in back-to-back years since Chelsea Decoud (high jump) and Mylana Hearn (triple jump), both qualified for the meet in 2016 and 2017. 
 
Lara Roberts, the Sun Belt Conference Women's Freshman of the Year, is ranked No. 8 in the hammer throw heading into the NCAA West Prelim. Roberts is the highest ranked freshman in the field of 48 and is the only freshman in the competition to record four throws of 65 meters or better this season. 
 
By qualifying for the National Championship in the hammer throw, she will become the third athlete in Texas State history to do so and will become the second freshman in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the event. 
 
On the men's side, Daniel Harrold is ranked fifth in the West Region for the 110m hurdles, with his PR time of 13.35w. Harrold will be featured in the third heat of the 110m hurdle competition on Wednesday and will match up against the No. 8 ranked hurdler in the west region, Demarius Waters from San Jose State (13.40w). 
 
He is looking to become the first Texas State athlete since Timothy Young in 2013 to qualify for the National Championships in the 110m hurdles. 
 
After qualifying for the NCAA Nationals last season in the long jump, Chris Preddie is looking to become the first Bobcat since Brian Veal in 2004 and 2005 to qualify for the event in back-to-back years. 
 
Going into the meet Preddie is ranked No. 5, with his PR jump of 7.99 meters. He is only .26 meters behind the leader in the West Region, Wayne Pinnock from the University of Arkansas (8.25m). 
 
In the men's 200 meters, Dominick Yancy is ranked No. 8 coming into the meet. Yancy will be featured in the third heat on Wednesday and is set to face fellow Bobcat Shawn Collins, who is also featured in the third heat. 
 
He can become the first male athlete in Texas State history to qualify for the National Championships in the 200 meters and can become the first athlete in school history to qualify for both indoor and outdoor nationals in the 200 meters.
 
The men's 4x400m relay consisting of Shawn Collins, Kashawn Baptiste, Brian West and Yancy, sit ranked No. 9 in the West Region with a time of 3:04.35. Texas State's relay team will compete in the second heat of the event, which includes Arizona State who is ranked No. 3 and UCLA who is ranked No. 4 in the West Region. Arizona State entered the meet with a time of 3:02.02 and UCLA qualified for the meet with a time of 3:02.39. 
 
By qualifying for Nationals, Collins, Baptiste, West and Yancy, will be the first Texas State 4x400 team to reach the meet since 2016. 
 
Follow the Action Live 
All four days of competition will be streamed via ESPN+ and live results are available here. 
 
ESPN+ Streams 

• Wednesday, May 22
  • West Prelims | 6 p.m. CT | ESPN+
• Thursday, May 23
  • West Prelims | 6 p.m. CT | ESPN+
• Friday, May 24
  • West Prelims | 4 p.m. CT | ESPN+
• Saturday, May 25
  • West Prelims | 4 p.m. CT | ESPN+

 
Multi-Time Qualifiers for the NCAA Prelims
Of the 20 Bobcats qualified for this week, 12 of them are multi-time qualifiers for the NCAA Prelims
 
4-Time Qualifiers 

• Kerrington Johnson (100m hurdles) 

 
3-Time Qualifiers 

• Shawn Collins (100m, 200 meters, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay)
• Dominick Yancy (200m, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay ) 
• Daniel Harrold (110m hurdles)
• Brian West (4x400m relay)
• Kerris Roberts (4x100m relay)

 
2-Time Qualifiers 

• Chris Preddie (long jump, triple jump)
• Aiden Hayes (high jump)
• Elisabet Runarsdottir (hammer throw)
• Melanie Duron (shot put) 
• Utitofon Sam (discus throw)
• Michaelangelo Bullard (javelin throw)

 
First-Time Qualifiers 

• Shedrack Akpeki (4x100m relay)
• Kashawn Baptiste (4x400m relay)
• Easton Hammond (high jump)
• Lauryn Small (shot put, discus throw)
• Taejha Badal (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay)
• Kaylee Lewis (4x100m relay)
• Ma'Khi Falkquay (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay)
• Lara Roberts (hammer throw)