North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Set to Open Action at NCAA Championships
6/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track
Live Stats   Women's Start List   Men's Start List
RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State track and field team qualified eight individuals for competition at the NCAA Championships. This marks a five athlete improvement from 2014, and ties the amount of qualifiers from 2013.
Scoring Information:
The meet runs from Wednesday through Saturday, and will crown 42 individual champions, as well as a men's team and women's team champion.
The top eight finishers in each event will score points towards the team rankings and earn first-team All-America honors, while ninth through 16th place will earn second-team All-America honors.
On the Tube:
 
 
Wednesday
Jonathan Addison and Graham Crawford will open the NCAA Championships on Wednesday. Addison will compete in the long jump, while Crawford will race in the 1,500m semifinals.
Long Jump:
The Raleigh native enters the long jump tied with the fourth-highest seed. His leap of 25'10" at the NCAA East Preliminary secured his spot in the finals. 
After qualifying for the 2015 Indoor NCAA Championships and the 2014 Outdoor NCAA Championships, the junior has seen success on the national level, earning second-team All-America honors at both competitions. This year, Addison is aiming to cement his place as one of the nation's top long jumpers.
1,500m:
On the track, Crawford is making his NCAA Championships debut. The junior finished among the top-five of his flight in the first round and quarterfinals of the 1,500m to advance to Eugene, Ore.
In each race, Crawford ran at the back of the pack for the majority of the race, before taking the outside lane and sprinting past his competitors in the home stretch.
The top-five from each heat, and the next two fastest times will advance to the finals.
During the regular season, Crawford competed against many of the semifinal participants at the Payton Jordan Invitational.  He had a strong meet, taking sixth in his heat with a time of 3:40.67.
Thursday
On Thursday, Joanna Thompson and Tremanisha Taylor will compete in the finals of their respective events, while Kenyetta Iyevbele and Alexis Perry will race in semifinal events.
10,000m
Thompson qualified for the 10,000m after finishing 10th in the event at the NCAA East Preliminary, crossing the finish line in 34:19.72.
She has 25 laps remaining, as she is aiming to cap off an extraordinary career with the Wolfpack. The senior already has three All-America honors between cross country and track and field, as well as a multitude of other conference and national awards.
Shot Put:
In the shot put, Taylor is aiming to close out her remarkable comeback on a high note. The two-time All-American underwent major back surgery in December, and completed rehab to return to competition halfway through the outdoor season.
After being cleared for the shot put, Taylor quickly re-established her form, and has already seen post-season success. She earned bronze at the ACC Championships, and took eighth at the NCAA East Preliminary with a throw of 54'0".
800m:
Iyevbele is the third Wolfpack senior to qualify for the NCAA Championships. She has also been a standout performer during her time with the team. The Charlotte, N.C., native holds the school record and All-America honors in the 800m.
She earned a spot in Eugene after strong first round and quarterfinal races at the NCAA East Preliminary. Iyevbele reset the school record in the quarterfinals, crossing the finish line in 2:03.45.
To advance, Iyevbele must finish top two in her heat, or hold one of the next two fastest times overall.
100m hurdles:
Alexis Perry will line up in the semifinals of the 100m hurdles as she competes in her first NCAA Outdoor Championships. Perry set her career-best mark of 13.16 at the NCAA East Preliminary. She crossed the line in a tight group but edged out her competitors, to finish third in her heat and eighth overall.
During the 2015 indoor season, Perry earned second-team All-America honors in the long jump.
The top two from each heat and the next two fastest times will advance to the final round on Saturday.
Up Next:
Check back after the semifinals on Wednesday and Thursday for a full preview of the Wolfpack's entries for Friday and Saturday.
