MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Seven West Virginia University track and field team members have qualified for the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Regional Championship, from May 25-28, in Bloomington, Indiana.
Redshirt senior
Hayley Jackson (1,500 meters), sophomores
Jo-Lauren Keane and
Cassandra Williamson (800 meters), redshirt freshman
Ceili McCabe, senior
Katherine Dowie and fifth-year senior
Sylvia Russell (3,000-meter steeplechase), as well as senior
Tessa Constantine (400-meter hurdles) all ranked in the top 48 of the NCAA East Region in their respective events.
"This has been a very exciting spring for the team," said coach
Sean Cleary. "Having nine All-Big 12 performers and seven qualifying for the NCAA Championships has capped off a very special few weeks for us. Peter-Gay, Myesha and Abbey came very close to qualifying for this meet by virtue of their last few meets. The seven that we do have going is special for the team. Track and field is at an all-time high with regards to national rankings. Just a few years ago, we would have had 10 to 12 athletes making the cut. The goals need to keep expanding as we look to the future."
McCabe enters the event ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a season-best top time of 9:32.14 at the Mountaineer Twilight, on April 30, in Morgantown, West Virginia.
The Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada native is coming off of a first-place gold medal performance at the 2022 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship, on May 14, in Lubbock, Texas.
Dowie ranks third in the Big 12 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The Carisbrook, Victoria, Australia native qualified for this year's regional meet after recording a personal-best time of 10:13.68 at the Mountaineer Showcase, in Morgantown, West Virginia, on April 22.
Last week, at the Big 12 Championship, Dowie had an All-Big 12 performance in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a fifth-place finish in 10:41.39.
Russell ranks fifth in the Big 12 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a season-best time of 10:21.25 at the WVU Last Chance in Morgantown, West Virginia, on May 7.
The Ajax, Ontario, Canada native, is coming off of a fourth-place performance at the 2022 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship, on May 14, in Lubbock, Texas.
Next, Keane ranks eighth in the 800 meter in the Big 12. The Corofin, Co. Clare, Ireland native qualified for this year's regional meet after recording a time of 2:05.67 at the Big 12 Championship in Lubbock, Texas. Keane earned All-Big 12 honors.
Williamson enters the event ranked No. 10 in the Big 12 in the 800 meter with a time of 2:05.84 at the Big 12 Championship in Lubbock, Texas. Williamson earned All-Big 12 honors at the conference meet.
Jackson ran a season-best time of 4:19.88 in the 1,500 meters at the Big 12 Championship in Lubbock, Texas. Jackson earned All-Big 12 honors and enters the meet ranked eighth in the conference.
Additionally, Constantine is set to compete in the 400-meter hurdle competition in Bloomington. The Sydney, Australia, native tallied a career-best time of 59.31 in the event at the Mountaineer Twilight on April 30. The time ranks No. 8 in the Big 12, entering the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
Indiana University hosts this year's NCAA East Preliminary Round. The four-day competition will take place at Robert C. Haugh Complex - Outdoor Track and Field.
For each individual event contested at each of the preliminary sites, the top-48 declared student-athletes were accepted into the competition. The top-24 declared relay teams for each relay event were accepted into the competition. Combined events (heptathlon and decathlon) are not contested at the preliminary sites.
Qualifiers out of the East and West Regions who place in the top 12 in their events will advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 8-11.
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