Seven Redhawks Qualify for NCAA West Preliminary

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Seven Southeast Missouri Track & Field Athletes qualified for the NCAA West Region Preliminary round, the NCAA announced Thursday.

For each Track & Field event the top 48 athletes from the East and West Regions are chosen to move on and compete in their respective regions. 

This is the third year in a row the Redhawks will be sending seven or more athletes to the NCAA West Preliminary rounds, (9 in 2024 and 8 in 2023). 

SEMO will be competing in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M. The NCAA West Preliminary round will begin on Wednesday, May 28 and end on Saturday, May 31. 

Southeast will be sending Brianna Dixon, Luke Hatfield Jackoson, Sullivan Gleason, Clara Billing, Makenzie Williams, Paden Lewis, and Josiah Kilgore to College Station. 

On the men’s side, the veteran Hatfield Jackson will be jumping in the NCAA Preliminary high jump and long jump for the fourth time in his career. Kilgore will be throwing the javelin for the third time during his SEMO Career. Lewis swept the podium during the OVC Championship and will be throwing in all three events at the NCAA’s (Hammer throw, Weight throw, and Shot Put). First time qualifier Gleason will be competing in the pole vault. 

For the SEMO women, Billing keeps her streak alive and qualifies once again in the pole vault, her third trip in three years here at SEMO. Dixion is back competing in the high jump during her sophomore season. Williams caps off her Graduate season by earning her first trip to the NCAA’s to compete in the hammer throw.  

The top 12 athletes from each event will advance to the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Wednesday, June 11 to Saturday, June 14 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. 

SEMO’s NCAA West Region Preliminary Round Qualifiers

Men(4)

Luke Hatfield Jackson – High Jump, Long Jump

Paden Lewis – Hammer Throw, Weight Throw, Shot Put

Sullivan Gleason – Pole Vault

Josiah Kilgore – Javelin 

Women(3)

Clara Billing – Pole Vault

Brianna Dixon – High Jump

Makenzie Williams – Hammer Throw

SEMO Competition Schedule 

Wednesday, May 28

10:00 AM – Men’s Hammer (Paden Lewis)

2:30 PM – Men’s Javelin (Josiah Kilgore)

4:30 PM – Men’s Long Jump (Luke Hatfield Jackson)

5:30 PM – Men’s Pole Vault (Sullivan Gleason)

6:00 PM – Men’s Shot Put (Paden Lewis)

Thursday, May 29 

5:30 PM – Women’s Pole Vault (Clara Billing)

Friday, May 30

1:00 PM – Men’s Discus (Paden Lewis)

3:30 PM – Men’s High Jump (Luke Hatfield Jackson)

Saturday, May 31

1:00 PM – Women’s Discus (Makenzie Williams)

3:30 PM – Women’s High Jump (Brianna Dixon)