RICHMOND, Va. – Seniors
Makayla McGowan and
Kayla Merkel as well as freshman Gudrun Hallgrimsdottir have been selected to participate in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field East Preliminary Rounds, as announced by the NCAA Thursday.
Merkel qualifies for her third NCAA East Preliminary meet and will make her second appearance after qualifying in 2019 and 2021. The Drums, Pa., native threw a season-best 46.08m in the javelin at the VCU Final Qualifier to rank 44
th in the NCAA East Region. Merkel posted five top-five finishes in the event during the season and finished second at the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championships. She holds the school record in the event with a personal-best mark of 48.55m.
McGowan will compete in the discus after posting the 45
th-best mark in the NCAA East Region. The Nokesville, Va., native had a record-breaking season, launching a personal-best mark of 51.08m in the event. At the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championships, she won the discus title and was named Most Outstanding Field Performer. McGowan will make her first appearance at the NCAA East Preliminary.
Hallgrimsdottir qualifies for her first NCAA East Preliminary following a stellar freshman season. The Hvanneyri, Iceland, native broke the school record in the hammer throw three times during the season, posting a personal-best mark of 60.14m to rank 37
th in the NCAA East Region. Hallgrimsdottir captured three wins, including the Atlantic 10 Outdoor title, and two top-three finishes in the event during the season. She was named Most Outstanding Rookie Performer at the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championships.
The preliminary rounds are scheduled for May 25-28. Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. will host the East Preliminary and the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. will host the West Preliminary. The top 12 competitors in each event at both sites will advance to the NCAA Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., held on June 8-11. Hallgrimsdottir (10 a.m.) and Merkel (2 p.m.) are set to compete on May 26, while McGowan will compete at 1 p.m. on May 28.
A free live stream will be available via IUHoosiers.com.
