Courtesy of Norfolk Athletics
NORFOLK, Va. — Two student-athletes will represent Norfolk State at the upcoming NCAA East First Round meet in Jacksonville, Fla. The NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Track and Field and Cross Country Committee unveiled the official list of participants on Thursday afternoon.
Kai Cole will compete in two events for the Spartans, qualifying in both the 100 meter dash and 200 meter dash. Isaac Haywood will also make his second appearance at the NCAA preliminary meet, earning a spot in the triple jump.
48 student-athletes qualify for the preliminaries of each event in each region, determined by the best eligible times from the outdoor season. The top 12 competitors from each individual event will move on to the championship meet in Austin, Texas.
Cole added to a terrific outdoor season with a spectacular showing at the MEAC Outdoor Championships last week, winning both aforementioned sprinting events. His seeds him 36th in the region (10.24), while his performance in the 200 meters last week boosted him to the 28th seed in that event (20.58).
Haywood earned second in the triple jump at the MEAC Outdoor Championships, helping Norfolk State secure their second consecutive outdoor conference title. He posted a season-best triple jump of 50 feet, 2.675 inches at the Virginia Challenge, placing him as the 42nd seed in the NCAA preliminaries.
The NCAA First Round track meet will take place from Wednesday, May 24 to Saturday, May 27. The 100-meter dash is slated for 7 p.m. on the first day, with the 200-meter dash at 8:45 p.m. on Thursday. The triple jump will take place on Friday at 6 p.m.