North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Track To Send 23 to East Preliminary
5/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track
May 19, 2011
Men's NCAA East Preliminary | Women's NCAA East Preliminary
RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State men's and women's track teams, led by 2010 All-America distance runner Ryan Hill of Hickory, N.C., will send a total of 23 entries to next week's NCAA East Region preliminary round in Bloomington, Ind.
"To get 23 entries into the postseason is an excellent accomplishment,"ÂÂ? said NC State head coach Rollie Geiger. "That's a larger number than we have sent to the preliminaries in recent years. But advancing is hard, and everyone's goal now is to move on from here."
The top 12 individuals and the top 12 relay teams will advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held June 8-11 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Hill, a sophomore who was an All-American in the 5,000-meter race as a freshman last year, will again run in that event. His school-record time of 13:31.67 at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., earlier this month was the top time of any runner from the East in that event.
Redshirt freshman teammate Andrew Colley of Williamsburg, Va., also qualified in the 5K, with his time of 13:44.79, to earn his first trip to the postseason.
Others who join Hill in making repeat appearances to the postseason include junior Gregory Dame of Winston-Salem (1,500 meters), sophomore Kris Kornegay-Gober of Washington, D.C., (high jump) and senior Lamont Savage of Salisbury (long jump).
Those making their first appearances include sophomores T.J. Graham of Raleigh (100 meters), Benjamin Major III of Fayetteville (200 meters), junior Brian Himelright of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, (3,000 meter steeplechase), junior Adam Henken of Catharpin, Va., (10,000 meters), junior Emmanuel Davis of Cameron, N.C., (long jump), junior Kwame Boatwright of Durham, N.C., (triple jump), senior Travis Weston of Fayetteville (triple jump) and freshman Nathaniel Williams of Newport, N.C. (discus).
For the Wolfpack women, junior Brittany Hampton of Monroe, N.C., qualified for postseason action for the second year in a row in the discus. Senior Kara McKenna of Sloatsburg, N.Y., (3,000-meter steeplechase) and junior Andie Cozzarelli of Apex, N.C., (10,000 meters) will also make their second consecutive postseason appearances.
Those who have advanced to NCAA action for the first time include, freshman Kenyetta Iyevbele of Charlotte (800 meters), junior Tiayonna Blackmon of Rock Hill, S.C., (800 meters), freshman Lillian Greibesland of Warwick N.Y., (1,500 meters), freshman Erin Mercer of Peninsula, Ohio, (3,000 meter steeplechase), sophomore Danielle Adams of Jacksonville, N.C., (high jump) and sophomore Karimah Shepherd of Chesapeake, Va., (long jump).
The Wolfpack men will also have an entry in the 4 X 100 meter relay. The team that qualified with a time of 40.19 seconds includes Graham, Major, senior A'Tolani Akinkuotu and Tobias Palmer.
| NC State Men | Cl. | Event | Top mark | East Region rank |
| T.J. Graham | Soph. | 100m | 10.37 | 27th |
| Benjamin Major III | Soph. | 200m | 21.00 | 25th |
| Gregory Dame | Jr. | 1,500m | 3:46.46 | 34th |
| Brian Himelright | Soph. | Steeplechase | 8:52.58 | 16th |
| Ryan Hill | Soph. | 5,000m | 13:31.67* | 1st |
| Andrew Colley | Fr. | 5.000m | 13:44.79 | 3rd |
| Adam Henken | Jr. | 10,000m | 29:41.63 | 15th |
| Kris Kornegay-Gober | Soph. | High jump | 6' 11 3/4" | 24th |
| Lamont Savage | Sr. | Long jump | 24' 7" | 33rd |
| Emmanuel Davis | Jr. | Long jump | 24' 3 1/2" | 47th |
| Kwame Boatwright | Jr. | Triple jump | 50' 0 1/2" | 38th |
| Travis Weston | Sr. | Triple jump | 49' 10 1/2" | 41st |
| Nathaniel Williams | Fr. | Discus | 171' 2" | 40th |
|
Graham, Major |
-- | 4X100 relay | 40.19 | 18th |
| NC State women | Cl. | Event | Top mark | East Region rank |
| Kenyetta Iyevbele | Fr. | 800m | 2:07.81 | 36th |
| Tiayonna Blackmon | Jr. | 800m | 2:08.12 | 39th |
| Lillian Greibesland | Fr. | 1,500m | 4:24.53 | 30th |
| Erin Mercer | Fr. | Steeplechase | 10:18.86 | 12th |
| Kara McKenna | Sr. | Steeplechase | 10:36.54 | 44th |
| Andie Cozzarelli | Jr. | 10,000m | 34:13.32 | 14th |
| Danielle Adams | Soph. | High jump | 5' 9 3/4" | 21st |
| Karimah Shepherd | Soph. | Long jump | 20' 4 1/2" | 18th |
| Brittany Hampton | Jr. | Discus | 170' 4" | 16th |
