West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois men's track and field team will have representation at the NCAA West Regional Championships this week in Sacramento, courtesy of Richard Brown. Brown is set to compete in the 800 meters with the aim of qualifying for the NCAA Division-I National Championships scheduled for June 7-10, 2023, in Austin, Texas. This marks a return for Brown to the meet where he previously competed as a freshman in 2021.

Brown is up against tough competition from across the west region. To secure a spot at the NCAA Championships, he must advance through two rounds of competition. The first round takes place on May 24th at 9:50 p.m. CST and involves 48 student-athletes divided into six heats of eight runners each. The top three finishers from each heat, along with the next six fastest times overall, will move on to round two. In this subsequent round on May 26th at 9:05 p.m. CST, 24 athletes are grouped into three heats of eight competitors each. Advancement to the NCAA Championships requires being among the top three finishers per heat or securing one of the next three fastest times.

Coach Trey Brokaw expressed confidence in Brown's abilities and preparation: "Richard has put in a lot of hard work this year. He's a talented runner as well. He's earned this trip to the NCAA West Regional Championships and we look forward to seeing how well he can do." Brokaw emphasized that "the Regional Championships are very exciting because the top-48 student-athletes in each event, regardless of their marks during the season, all have a chance to qualify for the National Championships."

In his previous appearance at this event in 2021, Brown finished 38th overall while his teammate Ackeen Colley placed ninth but narrowly missed out on advancing by time qualification standards. This year, Brown aims not only to surpass his past performance but also hopes to secure one of those coveted spots at nationals.