BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Eight America East track and field student-athletes earned a trip to the NCAA Championship meet in Des Moines, Iowa. The group, which includes three men and five women, qualified for the national meet hosted by Drake University June 8-11. The athletes earned invites to the meet thanks to their performances at the NCAA East Regional meet at Indiana University, May 26-28.
Boston University senior Whitney Ford will compete in the triple jump, while junior Katie Matthews qualified in the 10,000 meters and sophomore Allison Barwise qualified in the high jump. Stony Brook junior Lucy Van Dalen and University of Vermont freshman Nika Ouellette also made the cut. Van Dalen ran in the 1,500 meters and Ouellette competed in the javelin throw.
For the men, seniors Alie Beauvais and Luke Schoen represented University at Albany in the 400-meter hurdles and pole vault, respectively, while Binghamton University junior Erik van Ingen qualified in the 1,500 meters.
Ford hit a mark of 12.57 meters in the triple jump at the East Regional, qualifying 23rd in the nation. Ford won the triple jump at the America East Championship with a top mark of 12.63 meters.
Matthews, an All-American in the indoor season after finishing sixth in the 5,000 meters, qualified 17th in the 10,000 meters for the outdoor national meet. The junior posted a qualifying time of 33:50.86 at the regional meet. Matthews won the 10,000 meters at the conference meet.
Barwise, the 2011 Most Outstanding Field Performer at the America East Outdoor Championship, cleared a height of 1.78 meters in the high jump to grab the No. 10 seed at the national meet. At the conference championship, the sophomore won both the high jump and the heptathlon.
Van Dalen, an All-American in cross country and indoor track this year, has the chance for a third national honor in the 1,500 meters during the national outdoor meet. The junior finished third in her semifinal heat at the East Regional with a time of 4:17.60. Van Dalen set the America East record in the distance at the conference meet, winning the event in a time of 4:15.13, shattering the previous conference mark by 10.72 seconds.
Ouellette picked up the No. 20 seed in the javelin throw with a mark of 46.97 meters at the East Regional meet. The freshman won the event at the America East Championship and was named the Most Outstanding Rookie of the Meet.
Beauvais qualified for his second National Championship meet, having competed in the national meet in 2009. Beauvais posted the top time of 52.03 in the 400-meter hurdles in the preliminary round of the America East Championship but did not run in the final due to injury. At the East Regional, Beauvais finished third in his semifinal heat with a time of 51.56.
Schoen, the 2011 Most Outstanding Field Performer at the America East Championship, qualified 17th in the pole vault. The senior, who set the America East record of 5.27 meters, finished in a six-way tie for first place at the East regional, clearing a height of 5.20 meters. Schoen is a two-time All-American, last making the team after the 2009 outdoor season.
Van Ingen, an indoor All-American in the mile run, qualified for the outdoor national meet in the 1,500 meters with a semifinal time of 3:49.73 to win his heat. Van Ingen also won the 1,500 meters at the America East Championship with a time of 3:52.55.
The NCAA East Regional meet featured 46 America East student-athletes.