For Immediate Release // Wednesday, May 24, 2012

Contact // Natalia Ciccone (nciccone@pac-12.org)

Pac-12 Athletes Head to NCAA Track & Field Preliminaries

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Pac-12 menÂ’s and womenÂ’s track and field student-athletes will be competing at the NCAA West Region Champions being hosted by the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, Thursday-Saturday, May 24-26. Qualifying teams advance to the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 6-9.

The top 24 student-athletes per event per region (East and West) will compete for a spot at the NCAA Championships. Only the top 12 student-athletes per event per region advance to Des Moines, Iowa. In the relay events, only the top 24 relays per region advance to the preliminaries with 12 eventually advancing to the finals. The NCAA East Region Championships is being hosted by the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla.

For more information on the NCAA West Regional, visit http://www.texassports.com/ot/2012-ncaa-tf-west-prelims.html.

ENTRIES... A complete list of menÂ’s and womenÂ’s competitors representing the Pac-12 Conference at the NCAA West Regional is on pages 6-7. For a full list of all competitors participating in Austin, Texas, visit the NCAAÂ’s official website at www.ncaa.com. Or by clicking the direct link here: http://rtspt.com/ncaa/d1outdoor12/.

HEPTATHLON/DECATHLON ENTRIES... The top 24 entries in both the heptathlon and decathlon that have already qualified for the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, have already been announced. Below is the list student-athletes will be representing their institutions. For a full list of competitors, visit the NCAAÂ’s official website at www.ncaa.com or click on the link here: http://rtspt.com/ncaa/d1outdoor12/.

Decathlon Heptathlon

Dakotah Keys, FR, ORE Keia Pinnick, SO, ASU

Marcus Nilsson, SO, UCLA Brianne Theisen, SR, ORE

MEET RESULTS... Live results will be posted throughout the meet and can be accessed through www.texassports.com or by clicking on the following link: http://www.texassports.com/ot/2012-ncaa-tf-west-prelims.html 

BOWERMAN WATCH LIST... The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) have updated the latest Bowerman Watch List. The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female collegiate track & field athletes in the nation. Only 10 men and 10 women are on the watch list at any given point during the season. Below is the list of menÂ’s and womenÂ’s athletes on the Watch List. For more information, visit www.ustfccca.org.

MEN WOMEN

Chris Derrick, SR, STAN Brigetta Barrett, JR, ARIZ

Lawi Lalang, SO, ARIZ Brianne Theisen, SR, ORE

SOCIAL MEDIA... Fans can follow the Pac-12 via the Conference’s official twitter page by following @Pac12 and “like” the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Pac12Conference. Don’t forget to “Like” and “Follow” the Pac-12 and its member institutions.