INDIANAPOLIS – Little Rock registered five entries – four individuals and a relay – for the 2022 NCAA West Preliminary Championships set for next week as the Trojans tied a program record for number of entries.
Cameron Jackson (100m),
Johnathan Jones (high jump),
Taveion Neal (100m) and
Jordan Wallace (triple jump) will all compete next week as well as the men's 4x100m relay.
The five entries match the five entries Little Rock's men received in 2009 and in 2017 as the most in program history.
Jackson enters the 100m as one of the fastest sprinters in the West division and in the nation after posting a school record time of 10.10 at the Little Rock Twilight in April. He ran 10.12 to win gold at the Sun Belt Championships last week and was the conference's top meet scorer as well as being voted the league's Most Outstanding Track Performer. While he qualified in the 200m as well, he elected to scratch his entry in that event to focus on the 100m dash as well as the 4x100m relay.
Jones was also a Sun Belt Champion in the high jump as he cleared a school record 7-1.5 (2.17m) to claim gold at the league's championship meet. This will be his second NCAA West Prelims appearance after qualifying last year, where he finished tied for 36
th with a height of 6-9 (2.06m).
Neal will also double dip as he qualifies in the 100m dash as well as the 4x100m relay.
Cogan DeRousselle and
Troy McKnight are also part of that relay team that also won gold at the Sun Belt Championships.
Wallace qualifies in the triple jump after a season- and career-best mark of 49-6.5 (15.10m) set at the Harding Bison Open in April in Searcy, Arkansas.
Other than Jones, this marks the first career NCAA Prelims appearance for all of the Trojans that have qualified.
Ryan Curington barely missed out on a second straight prelims appearance after finishing tied for 48th (after scratches) in the long jump, but lost the tiebreaker to Texas jumper Solomon Washington.
The NCAA West Preliminary Championships begin on Wednesday, May 25 with the opening round of the 100m dash at 7 p.m. On Friday, May 27 the high jump is set for 2:30 p.m. with the 4x100m relay at 5 p.m. and the triple jump at 6 p.m. The 100m dash quarterfinal round is scheduled for 6:36 p.m. that day.
For the latest information on Little Rock Track & Field, make sure to check out
LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on
Facebook,
Instagram and
Twitter.
Get the latest Trojan news – including the weekly Trojan Report – delivered to you direct to your inbox by
signing up for Little Rock Trojan E-News here.
#LittleRocksTeam
