Two Southeast Missouri State track and field standouts qualify for NCAA championships

Central graduate and Southeast Missouri State sophomore Chris Martin joined teammate Blake Smith, a graduate of Jackson High School, in qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday.

Martin's distance of 51 feet, 8 inches gave him a fifth-place finish at the NCAA West Preliminary at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. Martin's previous best this season was 50-6 3/4 at the Joey Haines Invitational in April.

The top 12 finishers at the meet qualified for the national meet, making Martin one of the top 24 performers in the country.

Smith qualified for the national meet in the long jump on Thursday.

Reggie Miller also competed in the triple jump on Saturday, placing 14th with a distance of 50-10.

Jackson graduate and University of Missouri senior Jill Rushin also qualified at the event with a shot put throw of 54-8 3/4, which was fourth best on the evening.

The national meet will take place June 10-13 in Eugene, Oregon.