JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—The Auburn track and field team closed the fourth and final day of the NCAA East Preliminaries with three more NCAA Outdoor Championship qualifiers, as Joyce Kimeli qualified in the 3000m Steeplechase and 5000m and Presley Weems punched her ticket to nationals in the 1500m. Auburn will enter NCAA Outdoors in two weeks with 11 men's and women's athletes competing in 12 events.
Kimeli won both her heats in the Steeplechase and 5000m to earn the automatic berth to the championships. It will be the second consecutive NCAA Outdoors that she has qualified in both events. In the last national meet held in 2019, Kimeli was 13th in the steeplechase and 21st in the 5k.
The NCAA Indoor Champion at 5000m in March, Kimeli took over the lead at 3000m on Saturday and held off a late charge by Michigan State's Jenna Magness to win the heat and finish fifth overall in 15:56.81, the second fastest time in AU history. Two hours earlier in the Steeplechase, the Eldoret, Kenya, native led wire-to-wire and was never seriously challenged in her heat, crossing in 9:50.54, the second fastest time of the quarterfinal round.
Weems ran a strong race, finishing third in her heat and third overall of the 1500m while breaking the Auburn school record, crossing in 4:12.52. The time broke the previous school record of 4:13.15 set by Kimeli on April 9. It's the second time this season Weems has broken the school mark in the event. She broke the then 17-year-old record on April 2 only to see Kimeli break her mark a week later. Weems will be making her first NCAA Outdoor Championship appearance and is the first Auburn athlete in the 1500m since 2004 to run at NCAAs.
Kimeli and Weems will be joined by teammates Ashley Carter (Javelin), Kylee Carter (Javelin), Natosha Jordan (Heptathlon), and Madi Malone (Hammer Throw) in Eugene. On the men's side, Cade Antonucci (Javelin), Eric Brown (800m), Nils Fischer (Javelin), Malik Metivier (400m Hurdles) and Alex Spyridonidis (Decathlon) also qualified for nationals.
The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held June 9-12 at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Ore.
2022 NCAA EAST PRELIMINARIES
HODGES STADIUM
JACKSONVILLE, FLA
MAY 25-29, 2021
DAY 4 RESULTS
Women's High Jump
T-18. Natosha Jordan, 1.72m/5-7.75
T-18. Caroline Lawrence, 1.72m/5-7.75
T-38. Zatoria Thompson, 1.72m/5-7.75
T-41. Kamiya Dendy, 1.67m/5-5.75
Women's Discus
19. Maura Huwalt, 50.84m/166-9
34. Jocelynn Budwig, 48.76m/160-0
Women's 1500m
3. Presley Weems, 4:12.52 (NCAA Qualifier, School Record)
Women's 3000m Steeplechase
2. Joyce Kimeli, 9:50.54 (NCAA Qualifier)
Women's 5000m
5. Joyce Kimeli, 15:56.81 (NCAA Qualifier)
Tigers close NCAA East Prelims with school record, three more NCAA qualifiers
