Four Retrievers Head To The Bluegrass State For NCAA East Regionals
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The UMBC track and field program will send five total student-athletes (four on the men's side) to the campus of the University of Kentucky, where they will compete for a spot in the National Championships. These Retrievers will represent UMBC on the first & third day of competition during the first round and quarterfinals of the week-long event.
GS Michael Arnold - 400m Hurdles (#37)
JR Ibra Khairat - Triple Jump (#24)
SO Iosif Papa - Discus Throw (#14)
SO Gabriel Koletsi - Javelin Throw (#20)
What You Need to Know: *times are approximate and weather-dependent*
Men's Javelin Throw : Wednesday, May 22 (1 p.m.)*
Men's 400m Hurdles : Wednesday, May 22 (8:20 p.m.)*
Men's Triple Jump : Friday, May 24 (6:00 p.m.)*
Men's Discus Throw : Friday, May 24 (1 p.m.)*
*MORE INFORMATION*
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Schedule of Events
Individual Men's Rankings
Individual Women's Rankings
Results
Digital Program
Additional Info
Day 1 - Wednesday, May 22 stream
Day 2 - Thursday, May 23 stream
Day 3 - Friday, May 24 stream
Day 4 - Saturday, May 25 stream
UMBC Overview:
- Of the two Retrievers returning to the NCAA Regional competition, sophomore Gabriel Koletsi from Heraklion, Greece, qualified for the javelin throw with a personal-record distance of 69.24 meters. Koletsi accomplished this feat during a bronze-place performance at the Virginia Challenge in mid-April. He is currently ranked 20th in the region and was among the top 20 best finishers in the javelin throw at last year's NCAA East Regionals in Jacksonville, Fla.
- 2024 America East Outdoor Champion In Javelin Throw (58.84m)
- Gold (63.95m) @ Weems Baskin Invitational 2024
- Silver (66.19m) @ George Mason Ebanks Invitational 2024
The second Retriever returning to NCAA Regional competition, classmate Iosif Papa from Nicosia, Cyprus, qualified for the discus with a personal-best distance of 58.88 meters. Papa earned his regional bid in early April, claiming gold at the George Mason Ebanks Invitational. He currently ranks fourteenth in the East region and made his NCAA debut last May, outthrowing field athletes representing schools like LSU, Penn State, Navy, Kentucky, and Alabama to finish in the top half of competitors.
- 2023 America East Discus Champion and 2024 AE Discus Silver Medalist
- Gold (53.01m) @ Towson Invitational 2024
- Top Five Placing (55.62m) @ The Prestigious Penn Relays 2024
Junior Ibra Khairat from Ellicott City, Maryland, qualified as the 2024 America East Outdoor Long Jump & Triple Jump Champion in the triple jump event. Khairat achieved personal bests in both events earlier this month here at UMBC stadium, earning the most outstanding field performer in the conference for his efforts. He enters the competition in Lexington with a triple jump of 15.63 meters, ranking #24 among a deep field of power five jumpers.
- America East Indoor Triple Jump Champion (15.35m)
- Silver (14.85m) @ Weems Baskin Invitational 2024
- Gold (14.74m) @ James Madison University Invitational 2024
Graduate Student Michael Arnold from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, punched his ticket to regionals this past weekend, becoming the back-to-back IC4A/ECAC Outdoor Champion in the 400-meter hurdles. Arnold's gold medal run of 51.41s put him within the top forty of high-level competitors across the East Region.
- Gold (53.57s) @ Towson Spring Opener 2024
- Gold (51.99s) @ Weems Baskin Invitational 2024
- Gold (53.11s) @ James Madison University Invitational 2024
Up Next: The top 12 competitors in the field events and the top 24 runners on the track advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon, beginning on June 5.
