BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University senior
Mariam Buenanueva Saleme has qualified for the finals of the heptathlon, which will take place at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore, from Wednesday, June 10
th to Saturday, June 13th. Six other athletes will be heading to Fayetteville, Ark., to compete in the NCAA West Regionals, including returners
Ethan Ellis,
Neelie Schiel and
Kenson Tate plus first-timers
Ke'Asia Hall,
Anthony Oliver and
Davis Wenthe.
Buenanueva Saleme (Buenos Aires, Argentina) established a new school record in the heptathlon with 5,679 points to win the Southland Conference title at the Outdoor Championships. She was also named as the SLC Women's Field Athlete of the Year. The native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, had four top-five finishes, including third in the heptathlon at the Texas A&M 44 Farms Invitational, to earn her first career SLC Field Athlete of the Week honor.
Tate (Zachary, La.) is making his third trip to the regionals and will look to advance to the NCAA Championships for the third time after qualifying in 2022 and 2024 (long jump). In his senior season, Tate finished second in the conference meet with a mark of 7.71m (25-3.5). This was his seventh career medal in the long jump, which included four SLC individual titles, two runners-up and one third place.
Schiel (Chappell Hill, Texas) is set to make her second-straight appearance in the regionals after placing in the top 40 in the javelin last year. The former East Texas Baptist University Tiger established, then broke the LU javelin mark in three meets, which includes the current mark of 49.71m (163-1) at the conference outdoor meet to earn second-team honors. She also collected her second career SLC Field Athlete of the Week award.
Ellis (Missouri City, Texas) will be competing in the men's 400-meter hurdles, which he won twice during the season at the Prairie View A&M Relays (52.05) and the Texas A&M Alumni Muster (50.76). The latter of the two events was enough to receive SLC Track Athlete of the Week.
Wenthe (Galesville, Wisc.) will also take part in the men's 400-meter hurdles after earning third-team honors by the conference with a personal best 50.40 seconds. He and Ellis also placed second in the men's 4x400m relay.
Oliver (Richmond, Texas) will continue his junior season by competing in the hammer throw, which got him his second-straight conference title after setting the new school record of 63.70m (209-0). It was his second victory of the season, with the first coming at the PV Relays (59.70m/195-10), where he also won the discus (46.18m/151-6). Oliver made history at the Texas Relays (61.54m/201-11) by becoming the first Cardinal to throw for over 200 feet and was named SLC Field Athlete of the Week.
The NCAA Regionals will run from Wednesday, May 27
th to Saturday, May 30
th. The four men will all compete Wednesday, with Oliver starting at 9:30 a.m., Tate at 6:30 p.m. and both Ellis and Wenthe going at 8:20 p.m. Schiel will be competing in the javelin Thursday at 2 p.m. while Hall's triple jump event starts Saturday at 6 p.m.
Meanwhile, Buenanueva Saleme will wait until Friday, June 12
th to get started with her heptathlon.
