The Indiana men’s track and field team competed in the NCAA East Regional Preliminary Round over the weekend in Bloomington, Indiana. While 14 athletes participated in various events, only freshman thrower Sean Mockler qualified for the NCAA Championships on June 8-11 in Eugene, Oregon.
Mockler competed in the hammer throw and placed 12th, securing the final qualifying spot in that event. His throw reached 67.56 meters, 1.12 meters short of his bronze-medal throw and his personal best in the Big Ten Tournament.
Freshman Camden Marshall and senior Shaton Vaughn took part in the 800 meter race and 400 meter hurdles, respectively, and advanced to the quarterfinals on Friday. Marshall barely missed the championship-qualifying cutoff, placing fifteenth with a time of 1:49.09. Vaughn did not complete the hurdles and therefore did not fall into contention for qualifying.
Junior Antonio Laidler, senior Rikkoi Brathwaite, sophomore Adam Strouf, graduate student Adam Coulon and freshman Tyler Carrel also competed during the first day of events but did not qualify. Laidler and Brathwaite ran the 100 meter dash, Strouf took part in shot put and Coulon and Carrel participated in pole vault.
In addition to Marshall and Vaughn, senior Jake Gebhardt, junior Grayson Rolen and graduate students Ben Veatch and Jyles Etienne had events on the second day of the men’s competition. The Hoosiers also sent the relay team of Vaughn, junior Micah Camble, Laidler, and sophomore Parker Raymond to the 4 x 400 meter race. None of the day-two competitors qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Mockler will travel to the University of Oregon campus, along with the four Indiana women’s qualifiers, from June 8-11 for the last track and field event of the season.
