The outdoor track and field season finale begins Wednesday with three SIUE student-athletes competing for an NCAA Division I Championship at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field in Eugene.
Braxton Klavins (400 meters), La’Derrick Ward (long jump), and Jatavia Wright (triple jump) will be challenging for individual national titles in their respective events.
Live video coverage of the Championship is available online at www.watchespn.com.
Klavins begins his quest Wednesday in the semifinals of the 400. He qualified for the national finals with a time of 46.13 at the NCAA West Preliminaries, finishing 11th overall.
A junior, Klavins was named the Ohio Valley Conference’s Male Athlete of the Championship at the league meet held May 2-3 at SIUE’s Korte Stadium.
Ward, who entered the postseason with the nation’s longest jump at 26 feet, 3 inches, took fifth at the NCAA West Preliminaries with a leap of 25-0.75.
The long jump trials and finals are set to begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Wright earned her spot at the national championship with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA West Preliminaries with a leap of 41-7.25. Her best leap of the season came at the OVC Championships with a jump of 41-10.75.
The triple jump trials and finals are scheduled for 5:25 p.m. Friday.
Below is a list of event times and dates for SIUE student-athletes.
Wednesday, June 11
7 p.m. – Braxton Klavins – 400-meter semifinals
Thursday, June 12
6:30 p.m. – La’Derrick Ward – Long Jump trials and final
Friday, June 13
5:25 p.m. – Jatavia Wright – Triple Jump trials and final
7:50 p.m. – Braxton Klavins – 400-meter finals