Wake Forest Heads to NCAA East Prelims
5/24/2017 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
May 24, 2017
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Eight members of the Wake Forest men's and women's track and field teams are set to compete in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminary Round May 25-27. The meet will be held at the University of Kentucky Track & Field Complex in Lexington, Kentucky.
All individual events, excluding the heptathlon and decathlon, will have 48 competitors. The top 12 from every event will move on to the NCAA Outdoor Championship in Eugene, Oregon held June 7-10.
Last year, Robert Heppenstall finished fourth at the preliminary event in the 800m and advanced to the national championship, where he went on to finish eighth.
This season, Heppenstall will once again run in the 800m at the prelims. Heppenstall enters the meet with the 13th-fastest time in the country after he finished third at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championship with a season-best time of 1:47.04.
Also on the men's side, Charlie Ionata and Kyle Johnson will compete in the hammer throw, Max Adams will take part in the discus and Elijah Shalaway will throw the javelin.
Shalaway and Ionata, who is currently ranked 16th in the country, earned First Team All-ACC honors at the conference meet with third-place finishes in their respective events. Johnson received Second Team All-ACC honors after finishing sixth in the hammer throw.
Last season, Ionata finished 17th in the hammer throw and Adams finished 18th in the discus at the prelim event. This is the first time both Johnson and Shalaway will compete in the event.
Ellie Abrahamson, Jen Esposito and Kathryn Lazarchick will represent the Deacs on the women's side.
Abrahamson, competing in the prelim meet for the first time, will run in both the 3000m steeplechase and the 5000m run. Abrahamson garnered First Team All-ACC honors with her second-place finishes in both events at the conference championship. Abrahamson sits 14th nationally in the 5000m and 15th nationally in the steeplechase with her school-record time of 10:06.42.
Lazarchick will compete in the 1500m prelims for the third time in her collegiate career. Lazarchick finished seventh in the event at the conference meet and finished 36th at last season's preliminary event.
Rounding out the Demon Deacons, Jen Esposito will participate in the 400m hurdles. This will be the fourth time Esposito has appeared in the NCAA East Prelims but the first time as a Demon Deacon. Esposito represented Elon in her previous three appearances, including a 15th-place finish last season.
Competition for the Demon Deacons begins at noon on Thursday with the men's javelin.
Entries
Men's 800m
Robert Heppenstall
Men's Hammer Throw
Charlie Ionata
Kyle Johnson
Men's Discus Throw
Max Adams
Men's Javelin
Elijah Shalaway
Women's 1500m
Kathryn Lazarchick
Women's 5000m
Ellie Abrahamson
Women's 400m Hurdles
Jen Esposito
Women's 3000m Steeplechase
Ellie Abrahamson
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeTrack)
| Meet Central | NCAA East Preliminaries | |
| Dates | Thursday, May 25 - Saturday, May 27 |
| Location | Lexington, Ky. (Kentucky Outdoor Track & Field Complex) |
| Coverage | Live Results | @WakeTrack  |
| SEC+ Broadcast | Thursday (9 p.m.) | Friday (5:30 p.m.) | Saturday (6 p.m.) |
| Information | Meet Schedule | Entries |
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Eight members of the Wake Forest men's and women's track and field teams are set to compete in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminary Round May 25-27. The meet will be held at the University of Kentucky Track & Field Complex in Lexington, Kentucky.
All individual events, excluding the heptathlon and decathlon, will have 48 competitors. The top 12 from every event will move on to the NCAA Outdoor Championship in Eugene, Oregon held June 7-10.
Last year, Robert Heppenstall finished fourth at the preliminary event in the 800m and advanced to the national championship, where he went on to finish eighth.
This season, Heppenstall will once again run in the 800m at the prelims. Heppenstall enters the meet with the 13th-fastest time in the country after he finished third at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championship with a season-best time of 1:47.04.
Also on the men's side, Charlie Ionata and Kyle Johnson will compete in the hammer throw, Max Adams will take part in the discus and Elijah Shalaway will throw the javelin.
Shalaway and Ionata, who is currently ranked 16th in the country, earned First Team All-ACC honors at the conference meet with third-place finishes in their respective events. Johnson received Second Team All-ACC honors after finishing sixth in the hammer throw.
Last season, Ionata finished 17th in the hammer throw and Adams finished 18th in the discus at the prelim event. This is the first time both Johnson and Shalaway will compete in the event.
Ellie Abrahamson, Jen Esposito and Kathryn Lazarchick will represent the Deacs on the women's side.
Abrahamson, competing in the prelim meet for the first time, will run in both the 3000m steeplechase and the 5000m run. Abrahamson garnered First Team All-ACC honors with her second-place finishes in both events at the conference championship. Abrahamson sits 14th nationally in the 5000m and 15th nationally in the steeplechase with her school-record time of 10:06.42.
Lazarchick will compete in the 1500m prelims for the third time in her collegiate career. Lazarchick finished seventh in the event at the conference meet and finished 36th at last season's preliminary event.
Rounding out the Demon Deacons, Jen Esposito will participate in the 400m hurdles. This will be the fourth time Esposito has appeared in the NCAA East Prelims but the first time as a Demon Deacon. Esposito represented Elon in her previous three appearances, including a 15th-place finish last season.
Competition for the Demon Deacons begins at noon on Thursday with the men's javelin.
Entries
Men's 800m
Robert Heppenstall
Men's Hammer Throw
Charlie Ionata
Kyle Johnson
Men's Discus Throw
Max Adams
Men's Javelin
Elijah Shalaway
Women's 1500m
Kathryn Lazarchick
Women's 5000m
Ellie Abrahamson
Women's 400m Hurdles
Jen Esposito
Women's 3000m Steeplechase
Ellie Abrahamson
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Women's Track and Field
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