Five Tulane University athletes have qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship First Round, according to a May 21 announcement from the NCAA. Blezzin Kimutai and Cara Salsberry will represent the women’s team, while Rogerio Amaral, Tommy Rice, and Silas Kiptanui will compete on the men’s side at the east regional opening round next week.
The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship begins with first round regionals in both the east and west. The top-48 declared student-athletes in each individual event advance to this stage, along with the top-24 relay teams. Tulane’s qualifiers will travel to Lexington, Kentucky for their events.
Cara Salsberry is set to compete in multiple events as Tulane’s only female field athlete at the regional. She holds program records in both hammer throw (59.54 meters) and ranks second all-time for discus (51.75 meters). Blezzin Kimutai qualified for the 10,000 meters with a time of 33:28.35—a school record—placing her 28th among eastern competitors.
On the men’s side, Silas Kiptanui enters with a program-record time of 8:25.16 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase—the fourth-best mark among eastern athletes. Rogerio Amaral (29:10.35) and Tommy Rice (29:12.80) secured spots in the men’s 10,000 meters by achieving times that rank fifth and sixth respectively in school history.
The University of Kentucky will host this regional round from May 27–30 at its outdoor track complex. The top twelve finishers per event will move on to compete at the national championships scheduled for June 10–13 in Eugene, Oregon.
This achievement highlights continued progress within Tulane’s track and field program as several athletes set new records during their qualifying performances.
