MOSCOW, Idaho – The Vandal track and field team will send five athletes to Fayetteville, Arkansas to compete at the NCAA West Region First Rounds this week. Competition starts tomorrow and can be followed on ESPN+ and via live results.
 
Noah Culbertson booked his second-straight trip to the NCAA West prelims in the shot put following a first-place finish at the Big Sky Championships in Bozeman. Culbertson enters the meet ranked No. 32 in the region with a personal best mark of 18.10m. He will compete on Wednesday at 5:00 pm PST. Out of the 48 athletes competing, only the top-12 in the men's shot put will advance on to Eugene for the NCAA Final Rounds.
 
Zac Bright and Lorenz Herrmann will also step onto the track on Wednesday at 5:50 pm PST to compete in the first round of the 800m. Bright makes his NCAA West prelims debut after finishing second at the Big Sky Championships with a time of 1:48.58. The mark has him ranked 26^th overall in the region followed by Herrmann at 47^th with a time of 1:49.37. This will be Herrmann's third time at the NCAA West prelims. If either or both athletes place top three in their heat or within the next six fastest times, they will advance on to the quarterfinals on Friday at 5:05 pm PST. Only 12 athletes (top three each heat plus next three fastest times) will advance on to the finals in Eugene.
 
Simone Fedel was granted a second attempt at the NCAA West prelims in the triple jump after qualifying with a mark of 15.21m at the Big Sky Championships. Fedel will compete on Friday at 4:00 pm PST. He will have only three attempts and the top 12 placers will advance on to Eugene.
 
Finally, Katja Pattis returns to the NCAA West prelims in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Saturday at 3:40 pm PST. Pattis ranks No. 13 in the region with a time of 10:03.99 recorded in her silver performance at the Big Sky Championships. Only 12 athletes will advance (top three from each heat and the next three fastest times) to the finals.