Massive update:5 pirates members have acquired their tickets into Conference Round…

Five members of the East Carolina track and field team have secured spots in the NCAA East First Round meet, as announced by the NCAA on Thursday. On the men’s side, Royal Burris qualified for the 100m and 200m events, while Melicia Mouzzon (100m and 200m), Sydni McMillan (100m Hurdles), Rebekah Bergquist (Discus), and Naadiya Faison (Shot Put) will represent the women.

Burris, making his third appearance in the regional meet, achieved season bests of 10.19 in the 100m and 20.48 in the 200m, ranking 33rd and 22nd in the East Region, respectively. Mouzzon secured her second career qualification with times of 11.30 and 22.85 seconds in the 100m and 200m, respectively, ranking 20th and 11th in the region. Both athletes narrowly missed nationals last year, with Burris finishing 17th in the 200m and Mouzzon placing 17th in the 100m at the regional meet.

McMillan secured her spot in the regional meet thanks to her outstanding performance at the American Athletic Conference Championship, where she dominated the competition in the 100-meter hurdles, crossing the finish line with a commanding time of 13.06 seconds. Despite never having qualified for the regional before, McMillan enters the meet with the 16th fastest qualifying time.

In the throwing events, Bergquist earned her spot after winning the discus event at the American Championships with a remarkable throw on only her second attempt. Her season’s best throw of 51.29m ranks 37th among qualifiers, marking her third appearance at the regional level, with her best showing in 2022 placing 22nd.

Additionally, Faison will be making her second appearance at the regional meet, boasting a top toss of 15.98m in the shot put, placing her 29th in the East Region. Faison clinched fourth place in the conference meet.

All five Pirates will compete in individual events, with the goal of finishing among the top 16 performers in their respective events to advance to the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. They aim to end the one-year absence since Sommer Knight last represented East Carolina at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.