Fourteen Tigers Qualify for NCAA East Regional

Official East Region Web Site
East Regional Declared List

PRINCETON, N.J. (5/18/17) – A total of 14 members of the Princeton men's track & field team will participate in the 2017 NCAA East Regional it was announced by the NCAA on Thursday, May 18. The East Regional will be held in Lexington, Ky., on the campus of the University of Kentucky on May 25-27.

Junior Josh Freeman will make his NCAA Regional debut in the 400. He ran a PR of 47.02 to take second place at Ivy Heps, and three times improved upon his PR this season. The first round of the 400 will be on 7:45 p.m., on Thursday. The top three from each of six heats, plus the next six fastest times advance to the quarterfinals on Friday.

Princeton has three in the 1500 with juniors William Paulson, Noah Kauppila and Garrett O'Toole. Paulson has the fourth fastest time in the East with a 3:42.23 from the Larry Ellis Invitational, which is also a personal best. This is his second time qualifying, after earning a spot as a freshman. Kauppila and O'Toole are both racing in their second straight 1500 regional. Kauppila has a 3:45.06 from Larry Ellis and boasts a PR of 3:43.38. O'Toole posted a PR of 3:46.03 last week at the Army West Point Twilight Meet to qualify. The first round of the 1500 will be on Thursday, May 25 at 6 p.m. The top five from each of four heats, plus the next four fastest times advance to Saturday's quarterfinals.

Senior William Bertrand will tackle his first regional 10k on Friday. His race is the final race of Day 1 at 9:40 p.m. He finished the 10k at the Larry Ellis Invitational in 29:48.87 to qualify and was the runner-up at Ivy Heps.

Freshman Joey Daniels has the 14th fastest time in the East in the 110-meter hurdles. The Ivy Heps champion clocked a 13.88 to win the event, just a day after qualifying with a 13.99 – his two fastest collegiate times. The short hurdles will be held on Friday, May 26 at 5 p.m. The top three from each of six heats, plus the next six fastest times advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday.

It's the second consecutive season for senior Greg Leeper in the 400 hurdles. He posted a personal best time of 52.05 to win the Ivy Heps title for the second year in a row. The first round will be held on Thursday, May 25 at 5 p.m., with the top three from heat of six heats plus the next six fastest times advancing to Friday's quarterfinals.

Sophomore Adam Kelly has competed in two NCAA Championships already, taking 14th last spring in the hammer and finishing ninth in the weight throw this past indoor season. He has the 10th best throw in the East with a 68.96 (226-3) from Ivy Heps as he finished as the runner-up to Olympian Rudy Winkler. The hammer throw will take place at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Now a three-year qualifier in the shot put, junior Mitchel Charles will tackle the event on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Charles qualified with a 17.80 (58-4.75) from the Sam Howell Invitational and owns a PR of 17.94 (58-10.25).

Senior Jared Bell makes his regional debut in the discus. He threw a PR of 54.51 last week to win the Army West Point Twilight Meet. The discus will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m.

For the second year, senior Xavier Bledsoe will compete in the high jump. Bledsoe cleared 2.13 (6-11.75) at the Larry Ellis Invitational, just off his PR of 2.14. He'll compete in the event on Saturday at 6 p.m.

A PR of 15.71 (51-6.50) in the triple jump of the Ivy Heps has earned sophomore Stefan Amokwandoh his first regional bid. He had another big jump in that meet, a 15.51, that also would have qualified him for Regionals. The triple will be contested on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Two Tigers will compete in the pole vault on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Junior August Kiles has the 11th best mark in the East with a 5.31 (17-5) on his winning height at Ivy Heps. This is his second season qualifying in the event. Kiles has a PR of 5.42 (17-9.25) in the event. Joining him is senior Ben Gaylord who makes his regional debut. Gaylord reached a PR of 5.10 (16-8.75) at Sam Howell this season.
The top 12 in each of the field events will move on the finals in Eugene.

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Players Mentioned

Stefan Amokwandoh

Jared Bell

William Bertrand

Xavier Bledsoe

Mitchel Charles

Joey Daniels

Josh Freeman

Ben Gaylord

Noah Kauppila

Adam Kelly

August Kiles

Greg Leeper

Garrett O'Toole

William Paulson