UNCP Sends Five To NCAA Nationals
INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA track and field selection committee has announced the accepted list for athletes who are to compete at the NCAA Division II Championships in Charlotte over a three-day period (May 27-29). Among the list of those accepted are five UNCP athletes in four events.
Starting off competition for the Braves, Thursday at 5:30pm, will be the men's 4x100m relay team in the preliminary heat.
The 4x100m relay qualified on April 17 at the Charlotte Invitational with a time of 41.02 and currently sits 12th of 12 accepted relay teams in the event. The relay team of Brandon Eaddy, Karlos Jordan, Tyrie Webb and Maurice Eubanks had run the event in various orders, placing in the top-5 in four of five outings. Traveling as an alternate in the relay squad will be Devan Cureton.
That same day, Thursday at 6:55 p.m., Eubanks will compete in the 100m dash preliminaries.
Eubanks, a Siler City native, currently sits 13th of 20 accepted athletes in the 100m dash with a time of 10.51 which he earned at the Charlotte Invitational to place third on April 7 and provisionally qualify for NCAA Nationals. This season, while running the 100m event, the junior has finished top-5 in eight of 10 meets. Also this season, Eubanks was invited to compete against some of the nation's best track & field athletes at the Penn Relays that are held in Philadelphia, Pa., annually since 1895.
On Friday, Jordan will be representing the Black and Gold in the 100m dash preliminaries set to begin at 6:15pm.
Jordan, a Jacksonville native, currently sits sixth of 16 accepted athletes in the 200m dash with a time of 20.98. Jordan became the first UNCP athlete to automatically qualify for NCAAs since 1999 at the North Carolina A&T Invitational on May 16. This season, while running the 200m event, the junior has picked up seven top-10 finishes in nine meets including his first place showing at the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional meet. Jordan's performance at the national meet this weekend could give him the opportunity to break open a 34-year-old record held in a three-way tie – 20.90 (Dennis Graham & Dennis Jones in 1972 and Jerry Stancil in 1976).
Saturday afternoon will feature UNCP's lone female competitor, Kye Tennyson, at 5:35 p.m. when she takes on the high jump.
Tennyson, a Jacksonville native, will be representing the Lady Braves at NCAA Nationals in the high jump and currently sits 14th of 17 accepted athletes in the event with a clearance height of 1.70m. With her appearance at NCAA Nationals, Tennyson has already secured herself in UNCP's record books as the first female track & field athlete to qualify and attend the NCAA National meet. Tennyson achieved her provisional qualifying height along with a first place finish and new school record at the Braves Classic on March 17. During her first season with UNCP, the sophomore has placed in the top-5 in seven of nine contests on her way to picking up four first place finishes.
Eubanks, Jordan and the 4x100m relay squad will have a chance to compete in the finals of their respective events should they place top-8 during preliminaries.
KARLOS JORDAN – 200m Dash
Prelims: Friday @ 6:15 pm
Finals: Saturday @ 8:31 pm
MAURICE EUBANKS – 100m Dash
Prelims: Thursday @ 6:55 pm
Finals: Saturday @ 7:17 pm
4x100m RELAY
Prelims: Thursday @ 5:30 pm
Finals: Saturday @ 5:50 pm
KYE TENNYSON – High Jump
Finals: Saturday @ 5:35 pm
