Bruins Set for NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships East First Round

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Looking to further etch their names in Belmont University track and field's postseason history, five Bruins will take to the field and track this week at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships East First Round in Jacksonville, Florida. Redshirt freshman men's javelin thrower Sam Parker will begin Belmont's week of action in the Sunshine State Wednesday afternoon, followed by women's graduate thrower Rebekah Stucker (hammer throw) and senior thrower Logan Gray (shot put) Thursday. Women's graduate distance runners Grace Litzinger (3000m steeplechase) and Brooke Garter (5000m) will both race Saturday at Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida.
 
Each member of the quintet is aiming to finish in the top 12 out of a field of 48 in their respective disciplines. Parker, Stucker, Gray, Litzinger and Garter have a chance to join the following Bruins who have qualified for the coveted NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships semifinals and finals.
 
Caleb Corprew - 2018 (400m hurdles)
Hannah Wittman - 2016 (10000m)
Lynette Rives - 2009 (200m)
Lynette Rives - 2008 (200m)
Lauren Weaver - 2008 (5000m)
Christy Csorna - 2004 (5000m)
William Kemey - 2003 (10000m) - did not compete due to injury
Keely Weaver - 2000 (10000m)
 
For those who qualify, the NCAA Outdoor Championships semifinals and finals will be held in two weeks, Wednesday-Saturday, June 11-14, at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
 
It marks the third consecutive year Belmont has had at least four women's track and field athletes competing in the NCAA East First Round. Parker is the Bruins' first men's field athlete to reach the NCAA Outdoor Championships East First Round since Stephen Gibson (2016-19) in 2019 and is the first men's javelin thrower since Austin Landis (2014-15) in 2015.
 
A complete list of NCAA East First Round start times for Belmont's athletes can be found below, along with select notes. All start times are subject to change due to weather conditions. Be sure to follow Belmont men's and women's track and field on social media - @BelmontXCTF on X, formerly Twitter, @belmontxctf and @belmontthrows on Instagram, and @BUXCTF on Facebook - for any schedule changes.
 
Sam Parker – Javelin | Wednesday, May 28 – 1:30 p.m. CT/2:30 p.m. ET (Flight 2)

• A Florida native (Oviedo, Circle Christian)
• Surpassed 55 meters four times this spring
• Captured silver at the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships with a career-best mark of 211 feet, 7 inches (64.50m) – only five inches off the program record
• Won the Brent Chumbley Memorial Hilltopper Relays in late March
• Ranks 85th nationally in the javelin

Rebekah Stucker – Hammer Throw | Thursday, May 29 – 9:00 a.m. CT/10:00 a.m. ET (Flight 3)

• A native of Odessa, Missouri (Odessa HS)
• Making her second consecutive NCAA East First Round appearance in the hammer throw
  • Finished 39th in 2024 – 177 feet, 11 inches (54.23m)
• Had a career-best hammer throw performance at the MVC Outdoor Championships where she won gold – 203 feet, 8 inches (62.09m)
• Ranks 43rd nationally in the hammer throw

Logan Gray – Shot Put | Thursday, May 29 – 6:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. ET (Flight 3)

• A native of Spartanburg, South Carolina (Spartanburg HS)
• Making her third-straight appearance at the NCAA East First Round in the shot put
  • Finished 15th in 2024 – 52 feet, 10.25 inches (16.11m)
  • Finished 25th in 2023 – 51 feet, 5 inches (15.67m)
• Broke her own school record to earn silver at the MVC Outdoor Championships with a throw of 54 feet, 3.75 inches (16.55m)
• Ranks 41st in the nation in the shot put

Grace Litzinger – 3000m Steeplechase | Saturday, May 31 – 4:40 p.m. CT/5:40 p.m. ET (Heat 1)

• A native of Fayetteville, Arkansas (Fayetteville HS)
• Making her second appearance at the NCAA East First Round in the 3000m steeplechase (2023)
  • Finished 23rd in 2023 – 10:27.98
• Has set the Bruins' steeplechase record in all three races she has ran this season
• Won gold at the MVC Outdoor Championships in Carbondale, Illinois, with a program-best time of 10:15.45
• Ranked 67th in the country in the 3000m steeplechase

Brooke Garter – 5000m | Saturday, May 31 – 7:10 p.m. CT/8:10 p.m. ET (Semi/Heat 2)

• A native of Kings Mills, Ohio (Kings HS)
• Making her NCAA East First Round debut
• Won gold at the MVC Outdoor Championships (16:42.50)
• Came nearly within a second of the school record in April at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California, with a personal-best time of 16:03.55
• Also took silver in the 1500m at the MVC Outdoor Championships with a near program record time of 4:18.74

The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships East First Round will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live results can be found at BelmontBruins.com.
 
How to Follow
Follow Belmont men's and women's track and field on social media - @BelmontXCTF on X, formerly Twitter, @belmontxctf and @belmontthrows on Instagram, and @BUXCTF on Facebook - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.