Baylor will have a total of 34 entries in the field at the NCAA?West Preliminary Championships, which run Thursday through Saturday at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.
The women will have 21 entries, while the men have 13 with each vying for a top-12 spot that earns a berth to the NCAA?Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 7-10.
STORYLINES
• The 21 women’s entries tie a program record set in 2014, while the 34 overall selections are second-most in the current NCAA West format, after the 36 that BU had in 2010.
• The Baylor women will have 19 entries in individual events, along with both the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays. Of those entries, Baylor has 12 currently ranked among the top 12 in the West region.
• On the men’s side, Baylor has 11 in individual events and both relay quartets. The Bears have seven entries currently ranked among the region’s top 12.
• The Bears have two athletes, who are ranked No. 1 in their event going into the regional meet. Felix Obi owns the region’s top triple jump mark at 54-8.25 [16.67m], but he hasn’t competed since the Baylor Invitational on April 8 due to a nagging injury. Meanwhile, Annie Rhodes set a school record, while winning the Big 12 title in the pole vault with a nation’s best clearance of 15-1.5 [4.61m].
• Baylor also has a pair of runner-up regional marks in Maxwell Willis (200m), the men’s 4x400-meter relay of Willis, London, Dickson and Caddick. Willis, the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year, won a Big 12 title in the 200 meters , while BU’s quartermile relay crew took gold as well.
• BU has four athletes competing in two individual events: Taylor Bennett (100, 200 meters), Cion Hicks (discus, shot put), Kiana Horton (100, 200 meters), Juanita Mainoo (100 meters, 200 meters), and Maxwell Willis (100 meters, 200 meters).
• In two events, Baylor has three entries, including the women’s 100 (Bennett, Horton, Mainoo) and 200 meters (Bennett, Horton, Mainoo).
• In its last meet, Baylor athletes claimed five event titles at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship in Lawrence, Kan. Claiming the top spot on the podium for BU was Taylor Bennett (200 meters), Wil London (400 meters), Annie Rhodes (pole vault), Maxwell Willis (200 meters) and the men’s 4x400-meter relay of Willis, London, Chris Platt and George Caddick.
QUOTING THE COACH
"These are the first rounds of the NCAA Championships, so it is get down there and take care of business. There are no winners. There are no losers. You just have to advance. We are just looking to take care of business and get to Eugene. You still want to compete and you go to do your best. We have a big number going and it is a great group. We have to finish strong. Last year was not a good ending for us, so we have focused the whole year on finishing strong." -- head coach Todd Harbour on his teams entering the meet
RESULTS/COVERAGE
Live results and live video stream for the 2017 NCAA West Preliminary Rounds can be found at TexasSports.com. Complete meet recaps and video highlights can be found at the conclusion of each day of competition at BaylorBears.com
