The Tennessee track & field teams have combined to qualify 18 athletes in 18 events for the NCAA East Preliminary Round, which will be held May 26-28 at Indiana University’s Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex in Bloomington.
Ten Lady Vols in 11 events and eight Vols in seven events will take part in the meet, which serves as a qualifier for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, slated for June 8-11 in Des Moines, Iowa. The top 12 finishers in individual events and relays at the East and West Preliminary Round meets will advance to Des Moines.
 “The more athletes you can take, the better your team is as a whole,” UT Director of Track & Field J.J. Clark said. “I want to get to a point where our entire team is going to the East Preliminary Round meet.
 “We look forward to going next week, and we anticipate advancing several on to the NCAA Championships. We’re going to go to Bloomington and focus on getting things done.”
UT women’s qualifiers include junior Annie Alexander (discus, shot), senior Liz Costello (5000m), freshman Linda Hadfield (pole vault), junior Ashley Harris (4x100mR), sophomore Kia Jackson (100m, 4x100mR), sophomore Martinique Octave (400m, 4x100mR, 4x400mR), junior Chanelle Price (800m, 4x400mR), freshman Kianna Ruff (800m, 4x400mR), junior Brittany Sheffey (1500m) and junior Ellen Wortham (400mH, 4x100mR, 4x400mR).
The Lady Vols also will have two more going as alternates for the relay teams. The duo includes junior Brittany Jones (4x100mR) and sophomore Nijgia Snapp (4x400mR).
The men’s qualifiers are junior Joe Berry (pole vault), sophomore Chris Bodary (10,000m), redshirt freshman Chase Brannon (pole vault), junior Desmond Brown (long jump), freshman Justin Hunter (long jump, high jump), redshirt freshman Dentarius Locke (100m, 200m), senior Michael Spooner (10,000m) and junior Varick Tucker (400m).
Lady Vols Wortham (55.70, 400mH) and Price (2:04.22, 800m) and Vol Berry (17-8 1/2, pole vault) enter the meet with the top marks in their respective events in the East. Alexander, meanwhile, stands at No. 2 in the women’s shot put (57-9 1/2) and discus (184-5).  

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