SIUE’s La’Derrick Ward, Jatavia Wright and Braxton Klavins qualified for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which take place June 11-14 in Eugene, Ore. The Cougars competed in the West Preliminaries at the University of Arkansas’ John McDonnell Track during the weekend.
A junior from Alorton, Ward qualified for in the long jump by finishing fifth with a leap of 25 feet, 0.75 inches.
Wright is a junior from Miami Gardens, Fla. She claimed her spot in the national championships in the triple jump with a leap of 41 feet, 7.25 inches. Wright placed 12th overall.
A junior from Lake Zurich, Klavins broke the school record at 400 meters en route to a qualifying time of 46.13. He was 11th overall. Kyle Rose set the SIUE 400 record at 46.32 in 2007.
Three qualifiers is terrific progress from a year ago,” said SIUE Interim Head Coach Eileen McAllister. “But, of course, you always want more. I am so proud of the athletes and coaches. They conducted themselves wonderfully and competed strong.”
SIUE had no seniors among the group of seven competitors at the West Preliminaries, and McAllister said the experience from this season will help next season.
“The other great thing about these student-athletes returning is that all of them will be able to share their experiences with the rest of the team,” said McAllister. “They are testaments that this can be achieved, and they can provide a blueprint of how they did it.”