LEXINGTON, Ky. – Indiana State qualified three through to quarterfinals at a successful first day of the 2017 NCAA East Region Preliminary Round Championships at the University of Kentucky on Thursday.
 
Sophomore sensation Brooke Moore ran her way into the women's 1500-meter quarterfinals with a stellar performance in the fastest heat of the day. Moore earned an automatic qualifier spot in fifth place in her heat (which was also good for fifth overall), clocking in at 4:20.58 – just .56 seconds off of her own school record of 4:20.02 from earlier this season that qualified her for the East Prelims.
 
Finishing in front of Moore was Michigan's Jamie Morrissey (4:17.57), Providence's Millie Paladino (4:17.70), NC State's Megan Moye (4:18.18) and Villanova's Nicole Hutchinson (4:18.48).
 
Moore will run in the quarterfinals of the 1500 on Sat., May 27, at 6:30 p.m.
 
In the 800-meter run, senior All-American Alethia Marrero qualified for the quarterfinals in impressive fashion, winning her heat with a time of 2:06.87. Her time was eighth overall on the day, with second and eighth-place just .41 apart and a minimum time of 2:09.13 to qualify. Marrero entered the meet with a season-best 2:06.33, good for 22nd on the East qualifying list.
 
Marrero will run in the quarterfinals of the 800 on Fri., May 26 at 6:30 p.m. Two years ago in 2015, Marrero won the East Prelim at an all-time MVC record of 2:02.67 – punching her ticket for the national meet in Eugene where she finishes as a First-Team All-American in fifth place.
 
Senior All-American David Timlin continued to push the limits, finishing third in his heat and earning a way into the men's 1500-meter quarterfinals with a time of 3:50.75. With 400 meters to go, Timlin found himself in last place in his heat, but he managed to change gear and work his way up the field for a third-place finish in the heat and 16th overall.
 
The only individuals to finish in front of Timlin in his heat was the Ivy League duo of Princeton's William Paulson (sixth East, 23rd NCAA) and Cornell's James Gowans (15th East, 42nd NCAA).
 
Timlin will run in the quarterfinals of the 1500 on Sat., May 27 at 6:45 p.m.
 
Tristan Parmley, school-record holder in the 100-meter dash, faced no shortage of competition in the first round of the 100 on Thursday. Parmley finished seventh in his heat and 37th overall with a time of 10.51, which would have been a career-best just two months prior.
 
The winner of his heat and the first overall time in the event was Olympian and three-time NCAA champion Christian Coleman from Tennessee, who also managed to set the facility record with a time of 9.96.
 
Parmley ended his incredible season as an NCAA East Regional qualifier, as well as a school-record holder in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.29 at the MVC Championships, which earned him a third-place finish and All-MVC honors.
 
The last competitor of the day for the Sycamores was sophomore Akis Medrano in the 10,000-meter run. Medrano finished 44th with a time of 31:39.60.
 
Medrano concludes a strong sophomore season for the Sycamores where he set a personal-best mark in the 10K of 29:50.99 at the Drake Relays, which is fourth in ISU history. He also was a scorer in the 5K and 10K at the MVC Outdoor Championships. In the fall, Medrano earned All-MVC honors at the MVC Cross Country Championships, finishing seventh overall.
 
Action resumes for Indiana State on Day Two of the NCAA East Region Prelims at 5 p.m. ET on Friday with Daley Carter and Marcus Neely in the first round of the 110-meter hurdles.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Track and Field team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.