BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – A pair of Gardner-Webb competitors have qualified for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminary Round, as Jordan Smith and Chase Thornhill will look to potentially advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
 
Smith qualified in the men's shot put with a mark of 17.23 meters this past weekend at the Mount Olive Final Qualifier, setting a new school record.
 
Smith recently earned Men's Outstanding Field Performer honors at the 2018 Big South Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where he took home titles in the hammer throw and discus throw, and was second in the shot put.
 
Thornhill qualified in the men's 400-meter run with a season-best time of 46.82 seconds, set at the 2018 Big South Championships, where he finished second overall in the event, setting a new school record in the process.
 
Thornhill was named the Big South Men's Freshman of the Year, as he was also part of the men's 4x100-meter relay team that finished third with a program-record time of 41.19 seconds, as well as the 4x400-meter relay team that placed third.
 
The 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminary Round will take place May 24-26 at the USF Track and Field Stadium in Tampa, Fla.  The top 12 finishers in each event will move on to the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. on June 6-9.
 
For more information on the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminary Round, please visit http://www.rtspt.com/ncaa/d1outdoor18/