Wednesday, May 22
Fayetteville, Ark.
All Day
University of North Texas
vs
NCAA West Preliminary Round
Mean Green T&F Send Nine and Relay Team to NCAA West Prelims
5/16/2024 3:30:00 PM | Track & Field/XC
Javelin thrower Zion Hill is ranked No. 10 in the nation to lead UNT
DENTON, Texas – Nine UNT track and field student athletes and the men's 4x100-meter relay team earned berths to the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in Fayetteville, Arkansas to compete Wednesday, May 22 to Saturday, May 25.
The meet consists of the first two rounds of the NCAA postseason. In order to qualify for the meet, individual athletes had to be ranked in the top 48 in the nation, while the top 24 relay teams were accepted.
Javelin thrower Zion Hill is the highest ranked member of the Mean Green team at No. 10. Hill's throw of 74.95 meters earlier this season set a new school record, but the senior has only competed twice this spring while battling injury. Vitus Hansgaard will join Hill in the javelin competition after qualifying as the No. 42 ranked thrower.
Seniors Jared Johnson and Jordan Coates-McBride also qualified for the men's team. Johnson is ranked No. 42 in the 100 meters with a career-best time of 10.30 he clocked at the Pacific Coast Invitational. Coates-McBride moved inside the top 48 in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal-best 51.88 in the prelims of the American Athletic Conference Championships. He is the first UNT male to qualify for the 400-meter hurdles since 2013.
Johnson has also been a consistent member of the 4x100-meter relay team this season but missed the event at the conference meet. In addition to Johnson, the relay team will consist of Samir Williams, Jaylen Washington, Justin Walden and alternates Evan Nichols and Antwan James.
The Mean Green women's team will have five representatives in the first round, led by sophomore China Okoye. Coming off an AAC title in the 400-meter hurdles, Okoye enters the meet ranked No. 32 with her time of 58.48.
Deja Shaw-Huckaby stands at No. 38 in the 200 meters after clocking a personal-best and wind-aided school record 23.45 in the prelims of the conference meet.
Throwers Allison Stigarll and Makayla Roy were both among the final 10 athletes to qualify for the West Prelims in their events. Stigarll needed a school record and personal best throw in the AAC Championships to qualify for the postseason. She delivered with a mark of 58.84 meters that earned her a runner-up finish in the American and put her at No. 41 in the hammer throw. Roy is ranked No. 39 in the javelin with her mark of 47.96 meters.
Nakiya Marshall will also be competing for the Mean Green in the triple jump after getting in as the No. 45 mark in the event. She is the first female triple jumper to qualify for the NCAA West Prelims for UNT since Jazmine Martin in 2016.
Hill is the most experienced of the Mean Green heading to regionals as he will make the fourth appearance of his career at the meet. Hansgaard will be making his third appearance, while Williams and Roy will each be making their second appearances. The remainder of the UNT athletes qualified for the first time this season.
The NCAA West Preliminary Rounds will be streamed live on ESPN+ each day, while live results will be provided by the NCAA. Twelve competitors from each individual event will advance from the first-round site to the NCAA Championships hosted in Eugene, Oregon, June 5-8.
UNT NCAA West Preliminary Rounds Schedule
Wednesday // First Round
2 p.m. CT – Men's Javelin (Zion Hill, Vitus Hansgaard)
7 p.m. CT – Men's 100 Meters (Jared Johnson)
8:20 p.m. CT – Men's 400-Meter Hurdles (Jordan Coates-McBride)
Thursday // First Round
10 a.m. CT – Women's Hammer Throw (Allison Stigarll)
2 p.m. CT – Women's Javelin (Makayla Roy)
8:20 p.m. CT – Women's 400-Meter Hurdles (China Okoye)
8:45 p.m. CT – Women's 200 Meters (Deja Shaw-Huckaby)
Friday // Quarterfinals
5 p.m. CT – Men's 4x100-Meter Relay
6:35 p.m. CT – Men's 100 Meters
7:25 p.m. CT – Men's 400-Meter Hurdles
Saturday // Quarterfinals
6 p.m. CT – Women's Triple Jump First Round (Nakiya Marshall)
7:25 p.m. CT – Women's 400-Meter Hurdles
7:50 p.m. CT – Women's 200 Meters
The meet consists of the first two rounds of the NCAA postseason. In order to qualify for the meet, individual athletes had to be ranked in the top 48 in the nation, while the top 24 relay teams were accepted.
Javelin thrower Zion Hill is the highest ranked member of the Mean Green team at No. 10. Hill's throw of 74.95 meters earlier this season set a new school record, but the senior has only competed twice this spring while battling injury. Vitus Hansgaard will join Hill in the javelin competition after qualifying as the No. 42 ranked thrower.
Seniors Jared Johnson and Jordan Coates-McBride also qualified for the men's team. Johnson is ranked No. 42 in the 100 meters with a career-best time of 10.30 he clocked at the Pacific Coast Invitational. Coates-McBride moved inside the top 48 in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal-best 51.88 in the prelims of the American Athletic Conference Championships. He is the first UNT male to qualify for the 400-meter hurdles since 2013.
Johnson has also been a consistent member of the 4x100-meter relay team this season but missed the event at the conference meet. In addition to Johnson, the relay team will consist of Samir Williams, Jaylen Washington, Justin Walden and alternates Evan Nichols and Antwan James.
The Mean Green women's team will have five representatives in the first round, led by sophomore China Okoye. Coming off an AAC title in the 400-meter hurdles, Okoye enters the meet ranked No. 32 with her time of 58.48.
Deja Shaw-Huckaby stands at No. 38 in the 200 meters after clocking a personal-best and wind-aided school record 23.45 in the prelims of the conference meet.
Throwers Allison Stigarll and Makayla Roy were both among the final 10 athletes to qualify for the West Prelims in their events. Stigarll needed a school record and personal best throw in the AAC Championships to qualify for the postseason. She delivered with a mark of 58.84 meters that earned her a runner-up finish in the American and put her at No. 41 in the hammer throw. Roy is ranked No. 39 in the javelin with her mark of 47.96 meters.
Nakiya Marshall will also be competing for the Mean Green in the triple jump after getting in as the No. 45 mark in the event. She is the first female triple jumper to qualify for the NCAA West Prelims for UNT since Jazmine Martin in 2016.
Hill is the most experienced of the Mean Green heading to regionals as he will make the fourth appearance of his career at the meet. Hansgaard will be making his third appearance, while Williams and Roy will each be making their second appearances. The remainder of the UNT athletes qualified for the first time this season.
The NCAA West Preliminary Rounds will be streamed live on ESPN+ each day, while live results will be provided by the NCAA. Twelve competitors from each individual event will advance from the first-round site to the NCAA Championships hosted in Eugene, Oregon, June 5-8.
UNT NCAA West Preliminary Rounds Schedule
Wednesday // First Round
2 p.m. CT – Men's Javelin (Zion Hill, Vitus Hansgaard)
7 p.m. CT – Men's 100 Meters (Jared Johnson)
8:20 p.m. CT – Men's 400-Meter Hurdles (Jordan Coates-McBride)
Thursday // First Round
10 a.m. CT – Women's Hammer Throw (Allison Stigarll)
2 p.m. CT – Women's Javelin (Makayla Roy)
8:20 p.m. CT – Women's 400-Meter Hurdles (China Okoye)
8:45 p.m. CT – Women's 200 Meters (Deja Shaw-Huckaby)
Friday // Quarterfinals
5 p.m. CT – Men's 4x100-Meter Relay
6:35 p.m. CT – Men's 100 Meters
7:25 p.m. CT – Men's 400-Meter Hurdles
Saturday // Quarterfinals
6 p.m. CT – Women's Triple Jump First Round (Nakiya Marshall)
7:25 p.m. CT – Women's 400-Meter Hurdles
7:50 p.m. CT – Women's 200 Meters
Players Mentioned
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Throws
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Multi-Events
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Throws
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