JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Becoming the first Warhawk to reach the NCAA Finals since 2012, junior Jemal Parharm Jr. from the track & field program punched his ticket in the men's long jump after finishing in second-place out of 48 competitors on the first of three days at NCAA East Regionals.
Parharm, from Avondale, La., landed at a mark of 7.71m on Thursday at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida. His score was comfortably ahead of the 12th-place qualifying mark of 7.50m.
The top-12 in each event advance to the NCAA Finals in Eugene, Oregon on June 8-11.
Parharm avenged his 24th-place finish from last year's NCAA East Regionals where he scored a 7.24m. He continued his big 2016 postseason campaign which began at the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships where he earned a silver medal.
In addition to Parharm, senior Corey Wesley also competed in the men's long jump where he ended in 31st-place with a tally of 7.24m. Wesley's postseason continues at 3 p.m. on Saturday when he gears up for the triple jump. He is the lone Warhawk to compete in two events at NCAA East Regionals for the second year in a row.
Two-time reigning SBC champion Adriunna Brown concluded her breakout season with a 5.58m in the women's long jump to finish in 44th. Brown, an All-Conference First-Team selection, won the event at conference two weeks ago with a personal-record of 6.17m.
In the men's 400m, senior Andrew Tate clocked in at 47.37 to place 45th. He earned a silver medal at conference in the event after scoring a 46.88. Tate also grabbed a bronze medal at the SBC Championships as a member of the 4x400m relay team.
The Warhawks will be back at it on Friday, beginning at noon with junior Alexis Gordon throwing in the women's discus. Senior Joey Womack will follow in the men's javelin, and juniors Jevaughn Shaw and Alton Clay Jr., will wrap-up the day in the men's discus. On Saturday, sophomore Lebrun Nelson will take part in the men's triple jump at 3 p.m. along with Wesley.
ULM is seeking two qualifiers for the NCAA Finals for the first time since 2010 when Luther Ambrose made it in the men's 100m and Kyle Kent in the men's javelin.
