Houston Learns Regional Qualifiers

5/16/2019 4:47:00 PM | Track and Field

Cougars send 24 to NCAA Prelims

By: Alexandria Brown

HOUSTON – Less than a week removed from earning its fourth consecutive men's American Athletic Conference Outdoor title the Houston Track and Field team learned its regional qualifiers for the NCAA West Regional, to be held May 23-25 in Sacramento, Calif.

The Cougars will send 19 competitors on the men's side and five competitors on the women's side to compete in 13 events, that include the men's 4x100-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay. Qualifiers will look to finish in the top-12 in their respective events to qualify for the 2019 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships in June.

Houston saw eight sprinters qualify for the West Regional in the 100-meter dash, including seven from the men's side. Six of the top-15 times in the region are held by Cougars including Mario Burke who holds the second-fastest time in the region at 9.95, fresh off of his second straight conference title in the event. On the women's side, freshman Ashley Seymour will make her first NCAA Regional appearance after qualifying in both the 100-meter and 200-meter, holding the 36^th and 34^th best times regionally in each event, respectively.

Seven men will highlight the 200-meter dash, as the Cougars hold two of the top-10 times in the event in the region. Kahmari Montgomery will head into the race with the third-fastest time in the region at 20.32, followed by Burke with the sixth-fastest time at 20.41.

The 400-meter dash will feature a trio of Cougars as Obi Igbokwe, Jermaine Holt, and Montgomery all make the cut. Igbokwe enters the race with the eighth-best time in the event in the West Region at 45.91.

With a pair of individual conference titles already on his resume, Amere Lattin will head into both the 110-meter and 400-meter hurdles as the top-seed. Devion Wilson will join Lattin in the 110 hurdles, while Quivell Jordan will join him in the 400-meter hurdles. Sophomore Naomi Taylor will look to continue her season after already taking gold in the 110-meter hurdles at the conference championships. Taylor will compete in the event at the prelims, heading into the race with the 10^th-best mark in the field.

Houston qualified for both the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays, heading into the race with the fastest time in the 4x100-meter relay in the West at 38.45. In the 4x400-meter relay the Cougars hold the second-fastest time in the West at 3:02.61 and look to take both Indoor and Outdoor titles in the event.

In the field, the Houston throwers will look to have continued success as The American shot put champion Felipe Valencia will make his second straight appearance at the NCAA West Regional after qualifying in his signature event with a throw of 60-9.25 (18.52). He will be joined in California by American Athletic Conference silver medalist and true freshman Triston Gibbons who will make his first regional appearance in the shot put and discus throw.

After earning a third-place finish in the shot put at the conference championships, Priscilla Adejokun will make her second appearance in as many seasons at regionals. The sophomore will compete in both the shot put and hammer throw and will be joined in the hammer throw by senior Mikaila Martin who will be making her second trip to the West Region prelims.

Houston will be represented in the horizonal jumps by Samiyah Samuels, Trumaine Jefferson and Brendon Rivera. Two-time conference champion Samuels will compete in the long jump for the second straight season at the meet with a qualifying mark of 20-7.25 (6.28). Jefferson will make his second appearance at the meet as a competitor in the long jump. With his first conference podium finish in the books Rivera will head to Sacramento to compete in the men's high jump with the 25^th-best mark in the region at 6-11.5 (2.12).

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