Kacyon and Pickett Headed to NCAA East Region Preliminary for Men's Track & Field

NCAA Participants Release l Live Results

PHILADELPHIA - For a second year in a row, junior Matt Kacyon and senior Gabe Pickett have both qualified to represent Temple men's track & field at the NCAA East Region Preliminary. The regional meet will be held May 29-31 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., and the top 12 finishers in each event will advance to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. For Pickett, this season will mark his third as a NCAA qualifier.

"It is so great for these guys to continue to extend their season," said Temple head coach Eric Mobley. "Our goal is to keep extending it all the way through the final rounds in Eugene. This is just a great testament to where our program has come and it's only fitting that we close out the year at the NCAA Championships. It's tremendous to have both of these guys there for a second year and Gabe for a third. This really shows how the two of them have continued to excel throughout their careers."

Kacyon has recorded the 16th-fastest time of the regional qualifiers in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. At the IC4A Championships on May 16, he shattered his former personal best time in the event by running 8:51.83 to place third.

Pickett qualified by virtue of his triple jump mark earned at the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships on May 4. He placed fourth at that meet with a season-best distance of 15.16 meters, which ranks 47th among the regional qualifiers.

Both Kacyon's and Pickett's events will take place on Friday, May 30. The triple jump first round is set for 5:00 p.m., while the 3,000 meter steeplechase quarterfinals are set for 8:50 p.m. Those rounds will be the only ones held at the regional meet, with 12 athletes advancing from each to the next rounds (the NCAA Championships) in Eugene from June 11-14.

Temple University Athletics

Kacyon and Pickett Headed to NCAA East Region Preliminary for Men's Track & Field

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