OREM, Utah — The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee announced the participants in the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Preliminary Championship Competition on Thursday, and included on the list are several Utah Valley University athletes.
For the second straight year, the Wolverines are sending five student-athletes to the NCAA Preliminary Rounds on May 23-25 at Mike A. Myers Stadium at the University of Texas. Of the those five, three are making their second appearance.
Nicholas Taylor (200 meters), Maryn Pincock (discus) and McKell Camp-Nielson (javelin) participated at the event last year in Eugene, Ore.
"They are more mature and understand the time thing (between competitions) and now the NCAA meet works," UVU track and field coach Scott Houle said.
UVU student-athletes Michael McPherson (long jump, 200 meters) and Brooke Hodson-Davis (women's 3000 steeplechase) are making their first appearances.
"We are starting to get more and more kids qualifying," Houle said. "Slowly but surely we're starting to compete more and more on the national level."
Last year, Taylor competed in the 100 and 200 meters, while Camp-Nielson and Pincock competed in the javelin and discus, respectively.
McPherson (21.33 seconds) and Taylor (21.34) enter the meet ranked 42nd and 47th, respectively. McPherson (7.49) is ranked 30th in the long jump.
Camp-Nielson (48.21 meters) is ranked 16th in the javelin; Hodson-Davies (10:30.51) is ranked 36th in the 3000 steeplechase and Pincock (50.12) is ranked 45th in the discus.
The Wolverines just missed having six student-athletes as Kelli Roach, who competed in the javelin last year, was eight inches short of qualifying this year.
Jay Hinton is a sports information assistant at Utah Valley University.