This week High Point University Track and Field sends a record 11 athletes to the NCAA East Preliminary Championships hosted by the University of North Florida. Seven High Point women will be competing which is the most Panthers to compete at the NCAA East Preliminary Championships in the same year. It's the same case for the men as they send a record four Panthers. The 11 Panthers will be battling to qualify for a spot at the 2021 NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
NCAA East Preliminary Championships Headquarters
Live Results | Schedule | Meet Info | Tickets
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Which Panthers Are Going?
Panther Women That Are Jacksonville Bound
Famke Heinst | Senior | 3,000M Steeplechase
Qualifying Time: 10:14.23 (Virginia Challenge)
Last Time Out (Big South Championship): Heinst added another historical milestone to her already legendary resume as she became the first runner to win the Big South 5000m Outdoor individual championship three times. She finished on Wednesday (May 12) night with a time of 16:38.76 setting a facility record.
Heinst's Season So Far: In her second time running the steeplechase this season she set her regional qualifying time at the Virginia Challenge of 10:14.23. Heinst finished second in the steeplechase at the Big South Championship last time out. Heinst's career-best in the 3000 Steeplechase is 10:09.40 which she ran at the 2019 East Preliminary Round at the same site of the 2021 NCAA East Preliminary Championships in Jacksonville, Fla at UNF.
Zoe Geis | Senior | 3,000M Steeplechase
Qualifying Time: 10:13.41 (Virginia Challenge)
Last Time Out (Big South Championship): Geis claimed the first HPU women's 2021 Big South Outdoor Track and Field Individual Championship with a time of 35:37.04 in the 10,000m. Geis picked up her second individual Big South Championship the next day as she won the 3000m Steeplechase with a time of 10:25.90 which set a new meet record.
Geis' Season So Far: Geis has a lot of momentum heading into the East regional in Jacksonville as she is coming off of a Big South individual championship win in the 3000m Steeplechase. Geis headlined the championship week for the Panther Women as she received the honor of the Big South's most valuable athlete. She won both the 3000 Steeplechase and the 10,000 while also finishing second in the 5,000. The grad student's performance helped power the Panthers to their first Big South Title.
Nyile Facey | Junior | 100M Hurdles and 400M Hurdles
Qualifying Mark: 100m Hurdles: 13.43 (Big South Outdoor Track and Field Championships), 400M Hurdles: 1:00.41 (Big South Outdoor Track and Field Championships).
Last Time Out (Big South Championship): Facey used her outstanding performance from the 100m hurdles in the prelims and used as big momentum in the final as she finished first in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.77. On Day 2 of the BSC, Facey ran a personal best time of 13.43 in 100m Hurdles finishing first and qualifying for the 100m Hurdle final on Wednesday. Facey put herself in a great position to qualify for the NCAA East Regional in Jacksonville. Facey is currently 33rd in the nation. She also qualified for the 400m hurdles with a personal best time of 1:00.41.
Facey's Season So Far: Facey has been improving each time out with faster times each time she competed this season. She had a huge Big South Championship week as she recorded two qualifying times for the NCAA East Preliminary Championships in both the 400m and the 100m. Both of her qualifying times she set last time out are career-best times for the junior.
Alicia Dawson | Sophomore | Long Jump and Triple Jump
Qualifying Mark: Long Jump- 6.12m (20'1") (Aggie Classic), Triple Jump- 12.50m. (41'0.25)
Last Time Out (Big South Championship): Dawson won the first long jump individual championship for HPU since 2003 as she recorded a jump of 6.10m.
Dawson's Season So Far: Dawson's qualifying triple jump mark came at the Virginia Challenge with a mark of 12.50m. Dawson posted a qualifying mark of 6.12 in the Long Jump at the Aggie Classic. Dawson enters the week as the defending Big South Individual Champion for long jump.
Sydney Horn | Freshman | Pole Vault
Qualifying Mark: 4.44m (14' 8.75") (Big South Championship)
Last Time Out (Big South Championship): Horn set a new Big South record, a new facility record, a new PR, and a meet record with a mark of 4.44m. Earning the 2021 Big South Women's Individual championship in the pole vault.
Sydney Horn's Season So Far: Horn heads into the week coming off of a big mark of 4.44m at the Big South Championships. Horn has the third-best mark in the nation with that mark of 4.44m. Before last week her biggest jump of the season came in Austin, Texas at the Texas Relays as she posted a mark of 4.41m back in March fresh off of her top-three finish at the NCAA Indoor championships.
Mackenzie Horn | Junior | Pole Vault
Qualifying Mark: 4.12m (13' 6.25') (UNCW Invitational)
Last Time Out (Big South Championship): It was an all Panther podium as Sydney was joined on each side by Nathalie Elliott who finished second, and Mackenzie Horn who finished third.
Mackenzie Horn's Season So Far: Horn qualified her first time out this outdoor season at the UNCW Invitational with a mark of 4.12m (13' 6.25'). Horn finished third at the Big South Championship last time out. Her last mark was 4.09m in High Point at the BSC.
Nathalie Elliott | Senior | Pole Vault
Qualifying Mark: 4.24m (13'11") (Big South Championship)
Last Time Out (Big South Championship): It was an all Panther podium as Sydney was joined on each side by Nathalie Elliott who finished second, and Mackenzie Horn who finished third.
Elliott's Season So Far: Elliott is coming off of her biggest jump of the season of 4.24m at the Big South Championship. She jumped 4.21m earlier this season at the Texas Relays in March.
Panther Men That Are Jacksonville Bound
Freddie Allen III | Sophomore | Long Jump
Qualifying Mark: 7.57m (24'10) (Virginia Challenge)
Last Time Out (Big South Championship): Allen posted a podium finish for the Panthers finishing second in the long jump with a mark of 7.21 m.
Allen's Season So Far: In his first outdoor long jump of the season he posted a mark of 7.39m in his first time jumping at a meet in a High Point uniform in Vert Stadium. Allen His largest jump came at the Virginia Challenge with a regional qualifying mark of 7.57m. He is coming off a second-place finish at his first outdoor Big South Championships in the long jump with a mark of 7.21m.
Terris Burton II| Sophomore | 400 Hurdles
Qualifying Time: 51.66 (Duke Twilight)
Last Time Out (Big South Championship): Burton earned his first Big South individual title as he finished first in the 400m hurdles with a time of 52.88. Burton also finished third with a time of 15.23 in the 110 m hurdles.
Burton's Season So Far: Burton showed steady improvement nearly every time he touched the track this season. In his first race of the year he ran 54.48, he had a great month of May. At the Duke Twilight, he ran a qualifying time of 51.66, then he became the Big South 400H individual Champion at the beginning of the month. Burton hopes to keep his strong month of May going in Jacksonville.
Hocine Bouchrak | Senior | 3,000M Steeplechase
Qualifying Time: 8:49.11 (Big South Championship)
Last Time Out (Big South Championship): Bouchrak earned a Big South individual title in the Steeplechase with an 8:49.11 first place finish under the lights in Vert Stadium. HPU finished 1,4,5,8. Bouchrak took first with a time of 8:48.11.
Bouchrak's Season So Far: Bouchrak ran the 3000m steeplechase three times this outdoor season. He improved each time, he enjoyed a first-place finish at the Charlotte Invitational. He followed that up with an 8:49.44 performance at the Virginia Challenge. His third go in the 3000m steeplechase occurred at the Big South Championship where he became the Big South Individual champion in the Steeplechase.
Chris Van Niekerk | Sophomore | Shot Put and Discus
Qualifying Mark: Shot Put- 18.67m (61'3") (Big South Championship), Discus- 55.83m (183' 2") (Liberty Twilight Qualifier)
Last Time Out (Big South Championship): Van Niekerk made Big South history as he set a new personal best, meet record, facility record, and tied the all-time Big South record in the shot put. His mark of 18.67m earned him a Big South Individual championship. Van Niekerk earned the honor of Big South Freshman of the year after a dominating week in several throwing events. Van Niekerk finished first in both the shot put and the discus. On Wednesday (May 12th) Van Niekerk finished in the Javelin with a personal-best mark of 59.93m and finished first in the discus with a mark of 55.42m.
Van Niekerk's Season So Far: Van Niekerk has had an outstanding start to his young HPU career. He now gets the chance to showcase his talents at a national level at the NCAA East Regional. Van Niekerk won both Big South Individual titles in discus and shotput while finishing third in the javelin. His career bests in the javelin (59.93m) and shot put (18.67m) came at the Big South Championships last time out while his discus career-best came a week before at the Liberty Twilight where he registered a mark of 55.83m.
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