University of Tennessee Athletics
Photo by: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Korakidis, Scarvelis Punch Tickets To Nationals; Four Vols On To Quarterfinals
May 23, 2019 | Track & Field
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Tennessee hammer throw school-record holders Georgios Korakidis and Stamatia Scarvelis each punched their tickets to the NCAA National Championships Thursday afternoon as the Vols began competition at the East Preliminary Rounds. Additionally, four Tennessee sprinters advanced to the quarterfinals of their respective events that will take place Friday night.
To qualify for the national meet, an athlete must finish top-12 in his or her event at the preliminary rounds. The NCAA National Championships will be held June 5-8 in Austin, Texas.
GREEK HAMMER DUO THRIVES: Korakidis opened the meet for Tennessee with a heave of 67.81m (222-5) to place 10th in the field and qualify for his first NCAA National Championships. Scarvelis followed with the top mark on the women's side, throwing a season-best 68.33m (224-2) to secure her third-consecutive nationals appearance for the Lady Vols.
In addition to both holding school records in the hammer throw, Korakidis and Scarvelis also have ties to the Greek National Team. A native of Kilkís, Greece, Korakidis launched a school-record mark of 68.70m for a silver medal at the country's U23 National Championships last year. Hailing from Santa Barbara, California, Scarvelis' family heritage allows her to compete for Greece - where she claimed the national title in the hammer throw last summer.
FOUR SPRINTERS MOVIN' ON: Four Tennessee sprint specialists were able to advance to the quarterfinal rounds of their respective events by placing in the top 24 of prelims on Thursday evening.
Senior captain Mustaqeem Williams threw down the fourth-fastest time in the men's 100m dash, clocking in at 10.26 to place second in his heat for an automatic qualifying spot into the next round. The Woodbridge, Va. native will look to punch his ticket to Austin Friday night at approximately 6:15 p.m.
The Lady Vol duo of Lenysse Dyer (Miami, Fla.) and Martina Weil (Santiago, Chile) each advanced to Friday's women's 400m quarterfinals, as Dyer turned in a time of 53.03 for an at-large spot while Weil secured her quarterfinal berth with a third-place finish in her heat at 53.31. The senior-freshman tandem will vie for the National Championships Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Reigning U-20 World Champion Jonathan Sacoor (Lot, Belgium) secured UT's fourth spot in the quarterfinals with a season-best clocking of 46.22 in the men's 400m dash. The rookie will run again Friday evening, with the men's 400m quarterfinals scheduled for 5:45 p.m.
CLOSE CALLS: The Vols had a few individuals narrowly miss qualifying to the next round of their respective events. Senior captain Seth Whitener placed 15th in the men's hammer throw at 65.78m, just 60 centimeters (1' 10") away from finishing 12th to qualify for his second NCAA National Championships. Lady Vol junior Brooklynn Broadwater was .08 seconds away from advancing to the 400m hurdles quarterfinals, while pole vaulting rookie Andrew Ference's clearance of 5.21m placed 17th overall.
UP NEXT: Tennessee continues action at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds on Friday, beginning with the women's discus at noon inside the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium.
Full results from Thursday are available at this link. For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee track & field, follow @Vol_Track on Twitter.
To qualify for the national meet, an athlete must finish top-12 in his or her event at the preliminary rounds. The NCAA National Championships will be held June 5-8 in Austin, Texas.
GREEK HAMMER DUO THRIVES: Korakidis opened the meet for Tennessee with a heave of 67.81m (222-5) to place 10th in the field and qualify for his first NCAA National Championships. Scarvelis followed with the top mark on the women's side, throwing a season-best 68.33m (224-2) to secure her third-consecutive nationals appearance for the Lady Vols.
In addition to both holding school records in the hammer throw, Korakidis and Scarvelis also have ties to the Greek National Team. A native of Kilkís, Greece, Korakidis launched a school-record mark of 68.70m for a silver medal at the country's U23 National Championships last year. Hailing from Santa Barbara, California, Scarvelis' family heritage allows her to compete for Greece - where she claimed the national title in the hammer throw last summer.
FOUR SPRINTERS MOVIN' ON: Four Tennessee sprint specialists were able to advance to the quarterfinal rounds of their respective events by placing in the top 24 of prelims on Thursday evening.
Senior captain Mustaqeem Williams threw down the fourth-fastest time in the men's 100m dash, clocking in at 10.26 to place second in his heat for an automatic qualifying spot into the next round. The Woodbridge, Va. native will look to punch his ticket to Austin Friday night at approximately 6:15 p.m.
The Lady Vol duo of Lenysse Dyer (Miami, Fla.) and Martina Weil (Santiago, Chile) each advanced to Friday's women's 400m quarterfinals, as Dyer turned in a time of 53.03 for an at-large spot while Weil secured her quarterfinal berth with a third-place finish in her heat at 53.31. The senior-freshman tandem will vie for the National Championships Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Reigning U-20 World Champion Jonathan Sacoor (Lot, Belgium) secured UT's fourth spot in the quarterfinals with a season-best clocking of 46.22 in the men's 400m dash. The rookie will run again Friday evening, with the men's 400m quarterfinals scheduled for 5:45 p.m.
CLOSE CALLS: The Vols had a few individuals narrowly miss qualifying to the next round of their respective events. Senior captain Seth Whitener placed 15th in the men's hammer throw at 65.78m, just 60 centimeters (1' 10") away from finishing 12th to qualify for his second NCAA National Championships. Lady Vol junior Brooklynn Broadwater was .08 seconds away from advancing to the 400m hurdles quarterfinals, while pole vaulting rookie Andrew Ference's clearance of 5.21m placed 17th overall.
UP NEXT: Tennessee continues action at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds on Friday, beginning with the women's discus at noon inside the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium.
Full results from Thursday are available at this link. For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee track & field, follow @Vol_Track on Twitter.
Players Mentioned
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Sprints/Jumps
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