May 20, 2011

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Four women and two men from the University of Maryland have received invitations to participate in next weekend's NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship East Preliminary Rounds with bids to the national rounds on the line.

Senior Kristen Batts has qualified for the women's shot put on Friday and will join sophomore Moriah Young and junior Jessie Echard in the women's hammer on Thursday morning. Young will be in the women's discus on Saturday, and freshman Amina Smith is among the qualifiers for the women's high jump on Friday.

Junior Dwight Barbiasz and sophomore Jon Hill will compete in the men's high jump on Thursday afternoon.

"I am proud of the athletes who have worked hard this season to get to the NCAA level," said Maryland head coach Andrew Valmon, who also will be the men's head coach of Team USA in the 2012 London Olympics.

"Our throwers and jumpers have continuously stepped up this year at both the conference and national level. Kristen Batts will look to finish off her senior throwing career in the discus. Coach Roland Desonier has helped to develop the throwing group and as a result, three women will compete in the hammer throw at the first round of the NCAA. I'm pleased with the progression and positive mentality of this group.

"The high jumpers are also coming along and will make a strong presence at the championships," said Valmon. "All six of our individual qualifiers have a chance to perform at a high level during these preliminary rounds of competition."

The top 48 qualifiers in the East Region will compete in preliminary rounds at Indiana in an attempt to finish in the top 12. The top 12 finishers in the East Region will join the top 12 in the West Region Preliminaries in Eugene, Ore., at the NCAA National Championships, June 8-11, at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Dwight Barbiasz (Jr., High Jump, Milford, N.H.)

Tied for 4th on the ranked list in the men's high jump among East Region competitors at 7-3 1/4... All-American indoors in 2011 with a tie for 4th at nationals (7-2 1/2)... Won the Atlantic Coast Conference men's high jump competitions both indoors and outdoors in 2011... UCF Invitational and Florida Relays champion in 2011... Ranks 2nd all-time at Maryland outdoors behind only Mike Pascuzzo (7-4 1/4).

Kristen Batts (Sr., Throws, Marlboro, N.J.)

Seeded 34th in East Region in women's discus at 160-11 set with her individual title at the ACC Championships... Also passed 160 feet with 5th-place finish at the Penn Relays... Ranks 3rd on Maryland's all-time list with 161-5 set at last year's ACC Outdoor... Career-best mark in women's hammer is 181-1 when she placed 4th at the 2011 ACC Outdoor... Mark ranks 5th all-time at Maryland and she is one of only six Terps ever past 180 feet in the event... Seeded 47th in East Region in hammer.

Jessie Echard (Jr., Throws, Fairfax, Va.)

Had strong finish to the outdoor season, with her career-best 182-11 in the women's hammer putting her 40th on East Region list... Best mark of year came at ECAC Outdoor, where she placed 7th... Ranks 4th on Terps' all-time list in the hammer... Has added nearly 10 feet to her best lately, improving from 173-0 mark at season-opener at UCF... Carried career-best of 165-8 into 2011 outdoor season.

Jon Hill (Soph., High Jump, Walkersville, Md.)

Tied for 13th on the seeding list for the East Region with mark of 7-0 1/2 set at the Florida Relays... Won the Eastern Section of the men's high jump at the Penn Relays... Finished 4th at 2011 ACC Outdoor Championships in rain... Was All-ACC indoors after finishing 2nd behind only Barbiasz at league meet (7-0 1/2)... Transferred to Maryland prior to 2011 season from the University of Texas... Also owned Maryland's top mark of the season in the men's javelin (195-3), but did not qualify for East Prelims in that event.

Amina Smith (Fr., High Jump, Lusby, Md.)

Tied for 16th on ranked list for East Region in women's high jump with 5-10 mark set in outdoor season-opener at UCF Invitational... Mark is tied for 4th on Maryland's all-time list outdoors and she is one of only five Terps ever to clear 5-10... All-ACC honoree with T3rd finish outdoors... Finished 4th in Championship Section of Penn Relays and was 2nd at ECAC Championships... Has five efforts of at least 5-8 this season, including winning jumps at both UCF Invitational and Kehoe Twilight Meet.

Moriah Young (Soph., Throws, Columbia, Md.)

Has 45th mark on ranked list in the women's shot put with 48-3 1/2 set at the Penn Relays... Finished 2nd in the Eastern Section of the shot at the Penn Relays... Mark ranks 3rd all-time at Maryland in shot outdoors and she is one of five Terps ever past 48 feet outdoors... Was 6th at the ECAC Outdoor and 8th at the ACC Championships... Shot champion at the Kehoe Twilight Meet... Has four marks of 48 feet or better outdoors... Also qualified in 33rd spot for women's hammer at 184-4 set with win at Kehoe Twilight Meet... Ranks 2nd on Terps' list in the hammer behind only Aysha Gregory (185-6, 2008)... Finished 5th at ACC Championships and 11th at ECAC Outdoor in hammer.

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