JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – A trio of Carson-Newman Track & Field student-athletes prepare for the 2018 NCAA Championships slated to take place over a three-day period this weekend. Tori Gaul, Kieran Showler-Davis, and Tanner Stepp have each extracted invites to Charlotte, N.C. with the first set of events beginning tomorrow at the Irwin Belk Complex.
Carson-Newman will make its third trip to the site of competition this outdoor season after competing in the Johnson C. Smith Invitational in early April, and the South Atlantic Conference Championships on April 19-20.
"I'm super excited especially for Tori who went to NCAA's her sophomore year then has battled through injuries, to be able to compete in her home state is special," Coach David Needs said.
Tori Gaul will kick things off for C-N in the pole vault which is slated for a 2:00 p.m. start on Thursday. Gaul earned an invite for the Eagles in the pole vault as the senior will take on 23 student-athletes in the event in her final meet at C-N. Gaul claimed her second all-region honor of the year in the pole vault after winning the league title in the event during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The Salisbury, N.C. native's high mark came in Charlotte at the SAC Championships after clearing 3.81 meters.
Kieran Showler-Davis will also compete on day one for the Eagles after earning a spot in the field for the 100-meter dash, after coming off a second-team All-America finish following indoor nationals in the 60-meter variety. The prelims for the event is scheduled for a 6:10 p.m. start. If the senior works a top-eight finish, he will compete in the finals for the event slated for Saturday afternoon.
The native of Winchester, England topped all SAC sprinters in the 100 in the league championships breezing past the competition with a time of 10.37 seconds. The top time of the season for the senior sprinter came in at 10.34 from the Montreat Invitational on March 31.
Tanner Stepp, who comes off a National Championship in the high jump following the 2018 indoor season, was the southeast region's top performer in the event. The top mark of the season for the Jefferson, Tenn. native came at the league championships after clearing 2.11 meters. The height put the senior tied for 12th in the nation, as the senior will face a total of 20 other opponents in the event in his final jumps in a Carson-Newman uniform. The high jump will come for Stepp on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
Stepp will head to the NCAA's for the eighth time in his illustrious career and will end it having gone to the National Championships in every single semester as an Eagle.
"For Kieran and Tanner, they've been battling through injuries all outdoor season, but they've really competed when they needed to and their marks held. When you look at qualification times, they're really good this year."
The trio of seniors was honored by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as All-Region members for the 2018 NCAA Division II outdoor season.
Portions of the championships will be streamed live on NCAA.com
-CN-
