McLean County Times

The Illinois State track and field team is set to compete in the 2024 NCAA Division I West Preliminary Round, hosted at John McDonell Field on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. The event runs from May 22 to May 25, with men's events scheduled for Wednesday and Friday, and women's events on Thursday and Saturday.

Amiri Buchanan will participate in the shot put on Wednesday after qualifying with a mark of 19.12m at the Badger Challenge. He holds the third-best mark in program history and ranks 11th in the West Region. Raydoffa Braziel will compete in the 400m dash, having achieved a personal best of 46.59 seconds at the MVC Outdoor Championships.

Mathis Chavand is set for Friday's 5,000m run, following his school record-breaking performance earlier this year. Charles Cruse will enter the pole vault competition after setting a school record at the Drake Relays. Dewayne Johnson qualified for the 110m hurdles with a time ranking him 45th regionally.

Freshman Jacob Klink will join Buchanan in shot put competition, while Devin Turner will take part in long jump events. The men's 4x400m relay team also qualified after securing All-Valley honors.

On the women's side, Macy Byer competes in discus on Saturday, having achieved a personal best at the Gary Wieneke Memorial. Claire Fuhlhage and Mattison Plummer are both entered in the 3,000m steeplechase; Plummer currently ranks higher regionally after her performance at the Drake Relays.

The top-12 athletes and relay teams from both East and West Preliminary Rounds will advance to compete at the NCAA Championships scheduled for June 5-8 in Eugene, Oregon.

Live results for these preliminary rounds can be accessed online with coverage provided by ESPN+ daily.

For updates on Redbird track & field activities, follow their social media platforms or visit GoRedbirds.com.