EUGENE, Ore. (WTXL) - The NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships begin Wendesday at Hayward Field, and Florida State will have a large presence at the event.
The Noles men's and women's teams combined to qualify 17 athletes for the championships - nine women and eight men.
Wednesday's action begins at 1:30 p.m. (PT). Live results of the four-day meet can be tracked at: http://results.flashresults.com/2014_Meets/outdoor/06-09-NCAA/.
The following is a summary of when and where to expect Seminole athletes at the competition from FSU Sports Information:
Sophomore Katja Vangsnes, FSU's first NCAA Championships qualifier in the women's hammer, will literally launch the four-day meet as she is makes the opening throw in the first flight. Sophomore long jumper Der'Renae Freeman will also take flight Those are the only two finals involving Seminoles which will be contested on opening day.
Qualifying rounds, however, are equally important and the 'Noles are facing a full schedule.
Both the men's and women's 4x100 relays will try and make their way into Friday's finals. For three Seminole men - senior co-captains Dentarius Locke and James Harris and freshman Cejhae Greene - the relay will mark the first of two events on the day.
Locke, the 2013 NCAA Outdoor runner-up in the 100-meter dash and the reigning NCAA Indoor 60-meter champion, takes his first step toward becoming FSU's fourth 100-meter champion in the semifinal round. The Tampa, Fla. native posted the fastest qualifying mark (10.03) in the field from the NCAA Preliminary meets, contested two weeks ago. He will be joined by Greene, who is one of 14 'Noles making their NCAA Outdoor Championships debut.
Harris, who was fifth a year ago in the 400-meter dash, will be joined by freshman Michael Cherry in the 400 semifinals. They hold the No. 5 and No. 7 times, respectively, in FSU history for the event.
Sophomore ACC Outdoor champion Otniel Teixeira will try and keep his magical season going against a stout field in the men's 800-meter semifinal.
Pippa Woolven will make her NCAA Outdoor debut in the 3,000-meter steeplechase semifinal to close the opening day of action for the 'Noles. Woolven advanced to the meet with the fourth-fastest time in the field (9:54.24).
