Byrdsong and Norman Open NCAA Competition Thursday

LINKS: NCAA East Preliminary Championships Homepage | Live Video (PPV w/FloTrack Account)

MUNCIE, Ind. - - Ball State track & field sprinters Bryeana Byrdsong and MaQuila Norman continue their 2019 outdoor season Thursday (May 23) in Jacksonville, Florida, when they open competition in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field East Preliminary Championships held at North Florida's Hodges Stadium.

Byrdsong, a junior sprinter from Indianapolis, Indiana, will be the first to approach the starting blocks Thursday when she competes in the first round of the 100m at 6:30 p.m. She will also compete in the first round of the 200m at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Norman, a sophomore sprinter from Garfield Heights, Ohio, hits the track at 7:20 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the 400m.

First round competitions will consist of six heats of eight competitors. A total of 24 competitors, the top three from each heat plus the next best six times, after tie breaking, will qualify from the first round to the quarterfinal round.

If Byrdsong advances out of the first round, quarterfinals for the 100m are 6 p.m. Friday and quarterfinals for the 200m are 7:35 p.m. Saturday. If Norman advances, quarterfinals for the 400m are 5:30 p.m. Friday.

The quarterfinal round will consist of three heats of eight competitors. A total of 12 competitors, the top three from each heat plus the next best three times, after tie breaking, will qualify from the quarterfinal round to the semifinal round at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships June 5-8 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.

BRYEANA BYRDSONG NOTES:
- Named the Most Valuable Performer of the 2019 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships after helping account for 32 of the Cardinals' 57 points at the meet.

- Named First Team All-MAC after winning the 2019 MAC Outdoor title in the 100m with a time of 11.51w (2.7). The time would have been a career-best effort, the track record and the MAC Championship record were it not for the wind.

- Placed second in the 200m at the 2019 MAC Outdoor Championships with a career-fast time of 23.53. The time also ranks as the second-fastest individual effort in program history.

- Ran the second leg for the 4x100m relay which placed second at the 2019 MAC Outdoor Championships with a school record time of 45.20.

- Ran the third leg for the 4x400m relay which placed third at the 2019 MAC Outdoor Championships with the fifth-best time in program history at 3:43.65.

- Named Second Team All-MAC as a sophomore after running the second leg for the second-place 4x100m relay which timed out at 45.57 at the 2018 MAC Outdoor Championships.

- Five-time MAC Outdoor Championships medalist, earning one gold (2019 in 100m), three silver (2018 in 4x100m relay, 2019 in 200m & 4x100m relay) and one bronze (2019 in 4x400m relay).

MAQUILA NORMAN NOTES:
- Shattered her previous career-best in the finals of the 400m at the 2019 MAC Outdoor Championships, crossing the line in 53.94 to place fourth in the event. It was also the second-best individual time in program history.

- Qualified eighth for the finals of the 400m at the 2019 MAC Outdoor Championships after running 55.67 in the prelims.

- Entered the 2019 MAC Outdoor Championships as the eighth seed in the 400m after turning in a then-career-best time of 55.26 at the Lenny Lyles/Clark Wood Invitational (April 27, 2019).

- Ran anchor for the third-place 4x400m relay at the 2019 MAC Outdoor Championships which clocked in with the fifth-best time in program history at 3:43.65.

- Also ran anchor for the fourth-place 4x400m relay at the 2018 MAC Outdoor Championships which finished with the third-best time in program history at 3:42.24.

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Players Mentioned

Bryeana Byrdsong

MaQuila Norman

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