COLLEGE STATION, Texas – On the final day of the men's competition at the NCAA First Round, three Bobcats, Chris Preddie (triple jump), Kason O'Riley (high jump) and Aiden Hayes (high jump), punched their tickets to the NCAA Track and Field National Championships.
Nationals Bound
For the second time this meet, Preddie punched his ticket to nationals in a field event. After qualifying in the long jump on Wednesday, he doubled back to qualify in the triple jump with a mark of 15.93m.
Preddie became the first male athlete to qualify for two events at the national meet since Brian Veal (long jump and triple jump) in 2005. Veal and Preddie are the only two athletes in men's program history to ever qualify for multiple events at a single NCAA Championship.
In the high jump, both Kason O'Riley and Aiden Hayes, the No. 3 ranked high jumpers in the nation, punched their tickets to the national meet after clearing the bar at 2.17m. O'Riley came in first with three clean jumps, while Hayes placed fifth after missing his first attempt at 2.14m.
The pair are the first athletes in men's program history to ever qualify for the same event at the same national championship meet and are the first Texas State athletes to qualify in the high jump since Bobcat legend Charles Austin in 1990.
Entering the Record Book
In the men's discus, freshman Danie Strooh recorded the ninth-best throw in program history (57.66m) and placed 14th overall in the event. Strooh narrowly missed qualifying for nationals with his new PR mark.
The men's 4x100-meter relay, consisting of Shedrack Akpeki, Drew Donley, Daniel Harrold and Ethan Moffett, entered the record book with a time of 39.74, which is tied for the ninth-best time in program history and placed 16th overall in the event.
Next Up
The final day of the NCAA West First Round takes place tomorrow and will feature Texas State's Kendall Lemm in the women's high jump and Precious Okougbodu in the women's triple jump.
Results From Day Three of the NCAA West First Round
Discus
14. Danie Strooh – 57.66m/189-2 (9th TXST History)
36. Edward Ta'amilo – 54.00m/177-2
High Jump
1. Kason O'Riley – 2.17m/7-1.5 (National Qualifier)
5. Aiden Hayes – 2.17m/7-1.5 (National Qualifier)
Triple Jump
11. Chris Preddie – 15.93m/52-3.75 (National Qualifier)
4x100m Relay
16. Akpeki, Donley, Harrold, Moffett – 39.74 (T-9 TXST History)
110m Hurdles
- Daniel Harrold – DQ
