Kyra Atkins, Katrina Seymour, Brett Squibbs and Simeon Roberts head to the NCAA East Prelims

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 24, 2017) – The road to the NCAA Track & Field Championships begins on Thursday, May 25 in Lexington, Ky. at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track and Field facility as four ETSU Track & Field athletes are set to compete at the NCAA East Preliminaries.

Sophomore Kyra Atkins (Greer, S.C.), senior Katrina Seymour (New Providence, Bahamas), junior Simeon Roberts (Greeneville, Tenn.) and senior Brett Squibbs (Rock Hill, S.C.) qualified for the east prelims have recording marks within the top 48 in their respective events.

The four qualified ETSU athletes is the most for the Buccaneers since do so back in 2014. Of the top 48 times in the prelims, the top 12 times from each event of the prelims will advance to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 7-10. 

Katrina Seymour will be the first to compete at the east prelims as the first round of the 400m hurdles starts at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 25. If she advances, the quarterfinals will be held on Friday at 7:00 p.m.

Seymour has recorded a stellar senior campaign, qualifying with the 17^th fastest time in the region in the 400mH at 57.96. The senior achieved the time at the SoCon Outdoor Championships in which she set a new SoCon and ETSU record.

Most of the competition for the Buccaneers will begin on Friday, May 26 with Kyra Atkins beginning her east prelims at 4:30 p.m. in the first round of the 100m hurdles. If she advances, Atkins will run in the quarterfinals of the event on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

Atkins is making her second straight appearance to the east prelims after qualifying with the 19^th fastest time in the 100mH at 13.25. The Greer, S.C., native has claimed back-to-back SoCon 100mH titles and a season ago at the east prelims finished 24^th with a time of 13.56.

For Atkins and Seymour, in order to advance to the quarterfinals of their events, each will have to place in the top three in their heat or have one of the next six fastest times. Both Atkins and Seymour look to become the first ETSU women’s athlete to make the NCAA Championships since Heidi Dahl back in 2009.

Also competing on Friday for the fourth straight year is Brett Squibbs in the pole vault at 4:30 p.m.  Squibbs qualified with the 24^th best mark in the region at 5.20m, which is also an ETSU school record.

Last year, Squibbs finished 31^st at the prelims with a mark of 5.00m. In 2017, the Rock Hill, S.C., native has recorded three pole vault victories.

On Friday night at 7:00 p.m., Simeon Roberts will compete in the quarterfinals of the 3000m steeplechase after qualifying with the 39^th fastest time in the region at 9:00.06. At the SoCon Championships, Roberts won his second straight 3000m steeplechase title.

This season, Roberts has earned one victory and three top-five finishes in the 3000mSC. It will be his first appearance at the east prelims.

Since 2014, ETSU has had two athletes advance to the NCAA Championships with Tyler Stepp doing so in the long jump in 2014 and senior Mike Williams (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) advancing in the 400mH a year ago. Williams last season went on to earn Second Team All-American status.

For more information on Buccaneer Track and field, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the track and field page