NATCHITOCHES—The Northwestern State track and field teams are sending a total of 15 athletes in 13 individual events, as well as a pair of relay teams, to the NCAA East Regional, the NCAA announced Thursday.

The top 48 participants in the region in each individual event qualified, as well as the top 24 relay teams, with only one relay team per school admitted.

The East Prelims, which take place in Lexington, Kentucky, are May 22-25 with men's events happening Wednesday and Friday, while the women's events occur Thursday and Saturday.

Seven male athletes, as well as the 4x100 relay team, are heading to Kentucky, while eight females are, as well as the 4x400 relay team.

The men are led by Zachaeus Beard and Djimon Gumbs, who are each competing in two individual events. Beard is also a member of the 4x100 relay team that is participating.

Beard is taking part in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash, in addition to the relay team.

In the 100-meter dash, Beard has the seventh-best time in the regional, running a 10.03—converted from 10.00 for altitude—at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout.

Beard's time of 20.48 in the 200 also finished in the top 48, coming in at No. 19. His 20.48 came in the Southland Conference Championships, which earned him a silver medal.

The senior—along with Keontae Gaines, Cyrus Jacobs and Mikkel Johansson—also ran a best in the 4x100 relay, which clocked a 39.42 at the SLC Championships to punch their ticket to Lexington.

Djimon Gumbs also is going in multiple events, doing so in the shot put and discus.

His program-record shot put mark of 66-7 set at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout in fourth in the regional, while his discus (186-3) also was set in the Corky/Crofoot Shootout, placing 27^th.

In addition to Djimon Gumbs, his twin brother Diamante Gumbs and Tarajh Hudson also join him in the discus.

Diamante Gumbs (188-5) earned his spot with a win at the Leon Johnson Invitational, finishing 20^th in the regional.

Like Diamante, Hudson also posted his best throw at the home meet, the Leon Johnson Invitational. His 181-6 toss was the 35^th best in the regional.

Along with Beard in the men's 200 is Cyrus Jacobs, whose time of 20.66 was 35^th in the regional.

He also posted that best at the home meet.

In the jumps section, Randy Kelly (high jump) and Andrew Gilreath (long jump) round out the men's participants.

Kelly reached the regionals based on his 6-11 jump at the Bobcat Invitational, which is 40th.

Gilreath recorded a 24-11.75 at the SLC Championships, which is 38^th in the regionals.

On the women's side, NSU is led by sophomore Sanaria Butler in the 400.

Butler's time of 52.11 was clocked at the LSU Alumni Gold, coming in 11^th for the regional.

Butler is joined in the 400 by Maygan Shaw.

Shaw, a junior, clocked a 52.59 at the Leon Johnson Invitational to place 19^th on the list of entries.

In the 100-meter hurdles, Vanessa Balde, fresh off her gold medal in the event at the SLC Championships, is ranked 22^nd out of the entries. She clocked a 13.17 at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout, converted from 13.13 due to altitude.

All three—along with Tranasia Jones—make up the record-breaking 4x400 relay team. Fresh off clinching the team title for the NSU women, the quartet heads to Kentucky, ranked 13^th among entries.

Their time of 3:32.67 won them the 4x400 in the prestigious Texas Relays, beating out TCU and Arkansas, among others.

In the throws, Kaitlyn Washington (170-2) and Shakera Kirk (167-3) are traveling to Kentucky in the discus, the latter of which earned her spot after winning the gold medal in the event in the SLC Championships.

In the jumps, Madison Brown heads to Lexington after finishing 40^th among entries, clearing 13-4.25, which she accomplished at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout.

Samari Finney rounds out the entries for NSU by making it in the long jump. She recorded a distance of 20-3 at the Bobcat Invitational.