PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Eleven Scarlet Knights were selected to represent Rutgers men's track and field at the 2019 NCAA East Regional Preliminary from May 23-25 in Jacksonville, Florida, it was announced today. The team produced eight individual selections, as well as the 4x400m relay team.
Graduate student
Chris Mirabelli (javelin), senior
John Mooers (discus), junior
Perry Christie (high jump), redshirt junior
Greg Harnett (javelin), sophomore
Malachi Davis (triple jump), redshirt sophomore
Jason Campbell (discus), and freshman
A'nan Bridgett (long jump) will compete in field events.
Sophomore
Taj Burgess (400m, 4x400m), senior
Sterling Pierce (4x400m), sophomore
Semaj Willis, and freshman
Christopher Jenkins (4x400m) will hit the track for RU at the University of North Florida.
TRACK EVENTS
Individually, Burgess qualified for the 400m for the second consecutive season, having earned Second Team All-America status at nationals a year ago. He is seeded 17th in the prelim with a time of 46.05.
The 4x400m relay team of Jenkins, Burgess, Pierce, and Brown posted a Rutgers outdoor record of 3:04.27 this season, a mark that ranks 11th in the nation and fifth in the East. Burgess, Jenkins, Willis, and Pierce posted a podium finish in the event at Big Ten's this season. At the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships, the quartet of
Jermaine Griffith,
Izaiah Brown,
Alanzo Aris, and
Boaz Madeus collected Second Team All-America honors.
FIELD EVENTS
Mirabelli, a three-time Big Ten champion and three-time All-American in the javelin, earned First Team All-America status with an eighth-place finish in the javelin at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Lumberton, New Jersey, native redshirted in 2018 due to injury, returning with a mark of 72.30m (237' 3") that ranks 16th in the nation and eighth in the East this season.
Bridgett owns two Big Ten medals in the long jump as a rookie, including an indoor bronze medal and an outdoor silver medal this year. The Princeton Junction, New Jersey, native posted a mark of 7.47m (24' 6.25") at the 2019 Big Ten Outdoor Championships to finish second. His season-best mark of 7.72m (25' 4") ranks 35th in the NCAA and 19th in the East.
Qualifying for the second-straight season, Davis enters competition following a fifth-place finish in the triple jump at Big Ten's, posting an outdoor personal-best mark of 15.58m (51' 1.5").
Also making a second consecutive appearance, Mooers' season included a third-place result in the discus throw championship at Penn Relays, registering a PR of 56.45m (185' 2"). Campbell joins in the event after finishing seventh at Big Ten's with a PR of 52.98m (173' 10").
Harnett also earns his second straight selection, finishing fifth in the javelin at the conference championships with a mark of 65.30m (214' 3"). Christie rounds out the field competition for RU, registering an outdoor PR of 2.13m (6' 11.75") in the high jump this year.
For a full list of participants and seeding,
click here.
STREAM THE ACTION LIVE
NCAA track and field fans can watch a live stream of the NCAA Division I East and/or West Preliminary Championships as FloTrack Pro subscribers. Coverage of the preliminary competitions will be available May 23 - 25 at
www.FloTrack.com. Live results of the event will also be available.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers men's track and field and cross country, follow the program on Twitter (@Rutgers_MensTF). The team is also on Facebook (facebook.com/ RutgersMensTF/).
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