University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
NCAA East Prelim
28 Huskies Headed to NCAA East Prelims; Jordan Torney a NCAA Qualifier in Decathlon
5/24/2021 8:04:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
STORRS, Conn – The UConn men's & women's track & field program will send 28 student-athletes to compete at this week's NCAA East Preliminaries at the University of North Florida's Jax Track at Hodges Stadium with a chance at earning a spot in the NCAA Championship on the line.
The UConn men will be sending their largest contingent ever to the NCAA first round with 21 athletes heading to Jacksonville. For the UConn women, seven athletes are competing in events from Wednesday, May 26 through Saturday, May 29.
LIVE STREAM – DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4
Both Husky teams are coming of record setting performances at the BIG EAST Championship two weeks ago. The men took home their fifth league title with a conference record 294 points. UConn won 12 events, also a league record, and had 24 student-athletes earn All-BIG EAST honors. The UConn women finished as the runner-up at the BIG EAST title meet, posting a program best 157.5 points. The Huskies had three individual titles and nine student-athletes were named All-BIG EAST.
UConn already has one Husky through to the NCAA Championship meet in Eugene, Oregon on June 9 through 12 in senior Jordan Torney (Toms River, N.J.). Torney qualified for the championship meet in the decathlon after winning the gold at the BIG EAST Championship with a new career-high point total. Torney posted 7,492 total point while winning six of the 10 events.
For the athletes competing this week, qualifying to the NCAA Championships is accomplished through performance in the Preliminary Round competition. Twelve competitors from each individual event and twelve teams from each relay event advance from each Preliminary Round site. The individual event student-athletes and relay teams accepted into Championships competition based on their performance at Preliminary Round competition will be announced and posted on NCAA.com the week prior to Championships competition.
Here is a look at who is competing this week for the Huskies:
MEN
"We are very excited to see a team with this quality and quantity of athletes at the NCAA First Round," commented Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Greg Roy. "With 21 athletes competing on the men's side and Jordan Torney already qualified to the finals in Eugene in Decathlon, this is are largest field ever for UConn, by far. And with qualifying standards the highest ever, this is as full a track and field team as you are going to see down there."
On the track…
Stephen Sutton (Tolland, Conn) 800m – Sutton grabbed the silver for the Huskies at the BIG EAST Championship in the 800 meters. He posted his fastest time this season at the Virginia Grand Prix at UVA earlier this month when he clocked in at 1:48.96, the 29th ranked time in the east region. Sutton will run in the first round of the 800 on Wednesday.
Eric Van De Els (Norwalk, Conn.) 5,000 m – Van Der Els is coming off a UConn school record breaking performance in the 5,000 at the BIG EAST Championship two weeks ago. He took home the bronze at the event by crossing the line in a new record time of 13:49.45 to rank 31st in the region. The 5,000 meters is scheduled for Friday night.
Wellington Ventura (Cresskill, N.J.) 400m Hurdles – Ventura took home the gold in the 400 hurdles at the BIG EAST Championship. The junior owns the 14th fastest time in the event in the east region this season, a clocking of 50.97 seconds at the Navy Spring Invitational. He will run in the first round on Wednesday night.
Terrel Williams (Maplewood, N.J.) 110m Hurdles – In his first BIG EAST Championship, Williams make a great rookie debut by winning the 110m hurdles. He has his fastest race of the season back at the Navy Spring Invitational when he came in at 14.01 seconds, ranked 45th in the region. The first round of the 110 m hurdles is scheduled to kick-off the track events on Wednesday evening.
Noah Woodman (Hampstead, N.H.) 400 m – Woodman was in the midst of his best season yet at UConn when he was slowed down with an injury at the BIG EAST Championship. He is looking to bounce back this week running the 400 in Wednesday's first round. He had his best time of the season at UGA's Torrin Lawrence Memorial where he clocked a 46.47, ranked 31st in the east region.
UConn 4x100 Relay – The Huskies will have a foursome out of Aaron Hackett (Upper Marlboro, Md), Richmond Kwaateng (Lowell, Mass.), Conor Mahoney, O'Brien and Josiah Thompson (Jamaica, N.Y.). The Huskies will run in the quarterfinals that kick off the track events on Friday. UConn had the 30th fastest time post28ed this spring when they clocked a 39.85 at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial at UGA.
In the field…
Matthew Brady (Biddeford, Maine) Shot Put – Brady will join teammate Todd Stueber in the shot put on Wednesday. Brady took silver in the event at the BIG EAST Championship. His top throw this spring came at home in the UConn Dog Fight meet in April. His toss of 17.65 meters ranks 49th in the east region.
Daniel Claxton (Nesconset, N.Y.) High Jump – Claxton is coming off his best performance this spring when he won the gold at the BIG EAST Championship last week. He had his top-height this spring to win, clearing a height of 2.15 meters. He ranks 23rd in the east region. The high jump will take place on Friday.
Tyler Hrbek (Northvale, N.J.) Pole Vault – Hrbek had the second-best height by a Husky in the pole vault this spring. The junior cleared the bar at 5.12 meters at the UConn Northeast Invitational in April and ranks 33rd in the east region. The pole vault will be contested on Wednesday.
Michael Jeffers (Clifton Park, N.Y.) Javelin – Jeffers had his best outing this spring in last week's BIG EAST Championship where he took the gold. Jeffers unleashed his top throw on the year at 68.04 meters and ranks 24th in the east region. The javelin is slated for Wednesday afternoon.
Chris Keegan (West Hartford, Conn.) Hammer Throw – Keegan was the gold medal winner in the hammer at the BIG EAST Championship this past week. His top throw this spring came at home in the UConn Spring Invite, a toss of 63.13 meters. He ranks 30th in the region. The hammer will kick off the field events on Wednesday along with the javelin.
Safir Scott (Greenwich, Conn.) Long Jump and Triple Jump – The UConn senior will pull double-duty in the jumps this week. Scott won the silver in the long jump at the BIG EAST Championship. He posted his best jump on the season at a home meet, the UConn Northeast Invitational, a leap of 7.58 meters, ranked 29th in the region. In the triple jump, he was fourth at the conference meet and his best jump on the year came at the USF Invite in April, a PR of 15.76 meters. He ranked 19th in the region. The long jump will be held on Wednesday and the triple jump on Friday.
Travis Snyder (Saco, Maine) Pole Vault – Snyder was one of the Huskies' gold medal winners at the BIG EAST Championship, winning the pole vault. The sophomore recorded his best height this spring at the Torrin Lawrence Invitational at UGA back in late April. He cleared a height of 5.28 meters, the 14th ranked vault in the east region. He and teammate Tyler Hrbek will compete on Wednesday afternoon.
Todd Stueber (Toms River, N.J.) Shot Put and Discus – Stueber will also be competing in two events this week. He won the shot put at last week's BIG EAST Championship. His best outing this season came at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial at UGA, a throw of 18.49 meters, ranked 27th regionally. In the discus, Stueber also had his top throw this spring at UGA, coming up at 52.91 meters, ranked 51st. The shot put will be held on Wednesday and the discus is on Friday.
Colin Winkler (Barkhamsted, Conn.) Javelin – Winkler will join teammate Michael Jeffers in throwing the javelin at this week's event. Winkler had his best throw of the spring at home in the UConn Northeast Invite, a toss of 65.52 meters to rank 44th in the east region. The javelin is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
WOMEN
"This is a great representation of our women's program," stated Roy. "With four captains in the group, it represents the leadership of the program. Each of these competitors has proven time and time again their ability to compete at the highest levels. Each of these women have the chance to move on to Eugene to the NCAA Finals."
On the track…
Randi Burr (Westerly, R.I.) 5,000m – Burr will run in the 5,000 meters on Saturday night. She had her best time of the season come at the Virginia Grand Prix at UVA earlier this month when she posted a time of 16:19.33. Her time was ranked 71st in the east region.
Shanelle Colmon (East Brunswick, N.J.) 200 meters – Colmon had her best 200-meter performance of the spring at the BIG EAST Championship where she took second place in the event. Her prelim time of 23.56 seconds set a new PR and is ranked 48th in the east region. The 200 meters is schedule for Thursday night.
Mia Nahom (New Fairfield, Conn.) 3,000m Steeplechase – Nahom owns the 11th fastest time in the event in the east region this spring. She finished second at the BIG EAST Championship and for the second-straight outing, broke the school record in the event by posting a time of 9:58.50. Nahom joins her teammate Danielle Jordan in the event on Saturday.
In the field…
Chanell Botsis (Coquitlam, British Columbia) Hammer Throw – Botsis is a two-time All-BIG EAST performer this season, taking silver in both the hammer and the javelin. She had her best hammer throw this season at the USF Invite in early April when she posted a throw of 61.09 meters, ranking her 35th in the region.
Emma Chee (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) Pole Vault – Chee was the gold medal winner in the pole vault at the BIG EAST Championship two weeks ago. She owns the 36th best height in the east region this spring, coming at the UConn Dog Fight meet on campus when she cleared 4.05 meters.
Patricia Mroczkowski (Berlin, Conn.) High Jump – Mroczkowski had her top-performance of the spring at the BIG EAST Championship where she took home a bronze. The sophomore posted her top-height of the spring at 1.75 meters. She comes in ranked 40th in the east region. She will compete on Friday afternoon.
Taylor Woods (Malboro, Md.) Long Jump – Woods enters the NCAA regional meet off a gold medal performance at the BIG EAST Championship in the long jump. The senior had her best jump of the season at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial at the University of Georgia in April, posting a leap of 6.38 meters. She enters the week ranked 18th in the east region. The long jump is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Players Mentioned
