LEXINGTON, Kentucky—While the Northwestern State track and field teams are flooded with outstanding young talent, the men's team has proven the older athletes also have the capability of making a good bit of noise.

A veteran-laden group for NSU on the men's side, led by seniors Djimon Gumbs and Zachaeus Beard, prepares for NCAA East Regionals, which begin Wednesday.

Each day will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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

Competition begins for NSU at 5 p.m. with the men's long jump and concludes with the men's 200-meter dash Wednesday before starting again at noon on Friday and ends at 6:50 with the men's 200 final.

Beard is one of the competitors fighting for one of 12 spots to advance to nationals and a trip to Eugene, Oregon. The top 24 advance to the regional finals Friday and the top 12 from there advance to nationals.

Gumbs and Beard each are participating in multiple events, with Beard participating in three, including the 4x100 relay.

Beard, who made the indoor nationals in 2023, is aiming to do the same in the outdoor season in 2024.

In March, it was Gumbs' turn to reach the indoor nationals, doing so in the shot put.

He is also aiming to reach the outdoor nationals for the second time, making the trip in 2022, participating in both the shot put and discus.

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

"Zach has done a phenomenal job," head coach Mike Heimerman said. "He's really become a student of his craft and he really dove into it and has done some great things. It's really nice to see because he deserves it. I am expecting big things out of him and I guarantee we will."

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.

That time is the top time in the Southland Conference during the year and he collected a silver medal in the event at the SLC Championships earlier in May, where he ran a 10.19.

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 spot on the podium with a silver medal.

That time was the second-best time in the event in the conference this season, only trailing Texas A&M-Commerce's Ibrahim Fuseini, who ran his conference-best time at the SLC Championships as well.

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.

"Even though the men's 4x100 made it in, I still don't think we've run our best race yet," Heimerman said. "We've always had something go wrong almost every race. It is exciting to think about how fast we can run when everything goes right."

Jacobs is also competing in the 200 with Beard. The sophomore is ranked 35^th among entries in the East Regional, clocking a 20.66 in front of the home crowd at the Leon Johnson Invitational.

He reached the NCAA East Regionals last season as a member of both relay teams, but this is the first year he goes as an individual.

After missing the nationals a season ago, Gumbs tries to go back to Eugene in both the shot put and discus.

His program-best shot put mark of 66-7 was set at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout in fourth in the regional.

The shot put record Gumbs broke had stood since 1982. His discus mark of 186-3 also was set in the Corky/Crofoot Shootout, placing 27^th among entries.

Like previous years, Djimon Gumbs is joined by twin brother Diamante Gumbs and Tarajh Hudson  in the discus at the NCAA East Regionals.

Diamante Gumbs (188-5) earned his spot with a win at the Leon Johnson Invitational, placing 20^th among entrants 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 35th best in the regional.

"If Djimon throws just about what he has thrown in any meet this year, he'll probably make it out," Heimerman said. "If Djimon, Diamante and Tarajh keep throwing what they've been throwing all year, they'll be fine. They just have to do it the day of the meet."

In the jumps, both Randy Kelly (high jump) and Andrew Gilreath (long jump) make return trips to regionals, searching for their first NCAA Championship berth.

"I want to come in and finish what I started after making it to regionals last year," Gilreath said. "It wasn't a good meet for me, so I want to capitalize this time around and make it to nationals."

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

Gilreath posted a 24-11.75 at the SLC Championships, which is 38th among regional entries.

Each jumper is coming off medal-winning performances in the conference meet.

The men and women alternate each day from Wednesday through Saturday, and the women kick off its time in Lexington on Thursday evening.