JACKSONVILLE, Florida – McNeese Cowboy javelin thrower Hunter Longino finished 24^th at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field East First Round with a throw of 211-6.
 
The Oakdale native failed to make a return to the NCAA Championships which will take place June 7-11 in Austin, Texas as the top 12 qualified.
 
McNeese will have two more opportunities to qualify athletes on Thursday when javelin thrower Blanche Beard and hammer throw participant Mariah Lee will start their competition.
 
Lee will be the first in action when her event begins at 9 a.m. CT. Beard will compete at 12:30 p.m. ESPN Plus will broadcast the day's events.
 
Beard is returning to the East First Round for the second straight year with a regional ranking of 40. The junior dominated the outdoor season in her event with three first place finishes, including the Southland Conference championship, two second places and one third. Her gold medal throw at the SLC Championships of 151'4" was a season-best.
 
At the 2022 East First Round meet, she finished 35^th with a throw of 144'7".
 
Lee qualified in the women's hammer throw by ranking 35^th in the East Region. The junior thrower is making her first appearance in the postseason after a stellar outdoor year that saw her capture four first places and two others in the top five in seven meets competed. One of those first places was at the SLC Championships where she threw the second-longest hammer in school history with a mark of 196'8" and winning gold by 30 feet.