Posted: May 23, 2018

NCAA OUTDOOR T&F: Northwood Heads To Charlotte For 2018 National Championships

INFORMATION HUB

START LISTS – MEN | WOMEN

LIVE VIDEO (MAY 24) | LIVE VIDEO (MAY 25) | LIVE VIDEO (MAY 26)

MIDLAND, MICH. – Five Northwood track and field student-athletes are set to compete in the 2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships that will be held Thursday-Saturday (May 24-26), hosted by Johnson C. Smith University at the Irwin Belk Complex.

The Timberwolves will be represented by sophomore Christopher Bent in the 200 meters senior Paul Evans in the hammer and discus, junior Rami Gharsalli in the 110 meter hurdles, and freshman Mason Phillips in the men's long jump. Bent, Gharsalli, and Phillips will team up with sophomore teammate Austin Hamlet for the 4x100 meter relay.

Evans and Gharsalli are making their second straight NCAA Outdoor Championships appearance and their fourth consecutive NCAA Championship appearance (indoors and outdoors). Phillips will have his NCAA Outdoor Championships debut, while Bent and Hamlet will compete in their first NCAA Championships.

Many of the NCAA qualifiers this year will look to be Northwood's first All-Americans in their respective events - 100 meters, 200 meters, 4x100 meter relay, long jump, and the hammer throw. Gharsalli is the lone returning NCAA qualifier that has earned All-America honors at the outdoor championships.

MEET BREAKDOWN

THURSDAY'S SCHEDULE FOR NU:

MEN'S HAMMER THROW (FINALS): EVANS (12:00 PM)

After earning All-America honors in the weight throw this indoor season, Evans will look for his first All-America honor in the hammer throw. At last year's NCAA Championships, Evans finished 16^th with a throw of 58.73 meters (192 feet-8 inches) and is aiming for a podium finish. His season best throw of 61.17 meters was throw at the Texas Invitational back in April and boasts a personal best of 62.45 meters (204 feet-10.5 inches) thrown at the 2017 GLIAC Outdoor Championships.

Evans will enter Thursday's hammer competition as the No. 14 seed and will compete in the first flight of two in the eighth position. The top nine throws from the opening flights will advance to finals and earn three more attempts to improve upon their marks.

School Record: 62.45 meters (Paul Evans - 2017) / NU All-Americans in hammer throw: None

MEN'S LONG JUMP (FINALS): PHILLIPS (2:30 PM)

Phillips will make his first NCAA Outdoor Championships appearance in the long jump ranked 11th. At the GLIAC Outdoor Championships, Phillips finished second in the event while breaking the school record and setting his outdoor best at 7.50 meters (24 feet-7.25 inches). He will look to add his second All-America honor in the long jump after an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Phillips will compete in flight one in the ninth position. The top nine jumps from the opening flights will advance to finals and earn three more attempts.

School Record: 7.50 (Mason Phillips - 2018) / NU All-Americans in long jump: none

MEN'S 4X100 METER RELAY (PRELIMS): GHARSALLI, BENT, HAMLET, PHILLIPS (4:50 PM)

The 4x100 meter relay team of Gharsalli, Bent, Hamlet, and Phillips earned their NCAA berth after running a NCAA qualifying time of 40.45 seconds at the Mount Olive Final Qualifier to break the previous school record of 40.95 seconds set in 2011. At the GLIAC Outdoor Championships, the team crossed the line at 41.08 seconds for a third place finish and clocking their first NCAA provisional mark as a group.

The quartet will enter the meet ranked sixth and compete in the first prelim heat in lane five.

School Record: 40.45 (Gharsalli, Bent, Hamlet, Phillips - 2018) / NU All-Americans in 4x100 meter relay: none

MEN'S 100 METERS (PRELIMS): BENT (6:10 PM)

Bent will make his first NCAA Championships appearance ranked No. 17 in the 100 meters. The second best 100 meter sprinter in Northwood history set his collegiate best time of 10.39 seconds at the Mount Olive Final Qualifer. At the GLIAC Championships, he placed third for a podium finish clocking 10.30 seconds for an all-conditions personal best, however would not qualify him for the NCAA Championships because the wind-aid was illegal (+6.1).

Bent is slotted in lane two of heat one. The top two finishers in the three prelims auto-qualify for the finals, followed by the next two fastest times.

School Record: 10.35 (Matt Jackson - 2000) / NU All-Americans in 100 meters: none

FRIDAY'S SCHEDULE FOR NU:

MEN'S DISCUS THROW (FINAL): EVANS (4:00 PM)

Evans will compete in the discus throw for his second consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championships. At the GLIAC Outdoor Championships, he claimed his first career podium finish with a third place performance of 52.57 meters (172 feet-6 inches) in a season best effort. With a collegiate best of 55.15 meters (180 feet-11.25 inches), Evans will look to match or better his best in the event to move up in the rankings.

Evans will enter Friday's discus competition as the No. 20 seed and will compete in the first flight of two in the 10th spot. The top nine throws from the opening flights will advance to finals and earn three more attempts to improve upon their marks.

School Record: 55.51 (Paul Evans - 2017) / NU All-Americans in discus throw: Craig Borsenik (2009 – 5^th)

MEN'S 200 METERS (PRELIMS): PHILLIPS (5:35 PM)

Phillips will compete in the 200 meters at his first NCAA Outdoor Championships. In a time that sits him second in school history, his collegiate and season best of 21.02 seconds was set during the event prelims at the GLIAC Outdoor Championships before finishing third in the finals.

Phillips will compete in heat one, lane five. The top two finishers in each heat auto-qualify for finals, followed by the next fastest times.

School Record: 20.86 (Haddow Weatherbone - 2002) / NU All-Americans in 200 meters: none

MEN'S 110 METER HURDLES (PRELIMS): GHARSALLI (6:40 PM)

Gharsalli will return to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the event after a fourth-place finish in the event a year ago. His season best time of 14.03 seconds came at the GLIAC Outdoor Championships en route to a third-place finish, while his personal best of 13.97 seconds was set at last year's NCAA Championships to sit as the second best all-time performance at NU.

Gharsalli will compete in heat two in lane three. Eight will advance to the final - the top two times in each heat plus the next best times.

School Record: 13.87 (Lionel Campbell - 1980) / NU All-Americans in 110 meter hurdles: Gharsalli (2017 – 4^th)

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE FOR NU:

MEN'S 4X100 METER RELAY (FINALS): GHARSALLI, BENT, HAMLET, PHILLIPS (SATURDAY 3:25 PM)

The 4x100 meter relay will earn the chance to compete for All-America honors if the relay has one of the top eight times through the prelims and safely gets the baton around the track.