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Fayetteville, Ark. – Four HBU track & field athletes have been accepted to compete across six events at the 2022 NCAA West Prelims next week in Fayetteville at Arkansas' John McDonnell Field.
 
First up on Wednesday, May 25, will be Garrett Gibson running in the first round of the 110-meter hurdles at 6:00 p.m. and then running the 400-meter hurdles later that evening at 8:20 p.m. 24 of the 48 competitors will advance to the quarterfinals on Friday, May 27. Gibson is the HBU record holder in both events, setting the new 110h record on Apr. 30 at the Texas A&M Alumni Muster with a time of 13.89. His top time of 50.46 in the 400h placed him in the top 40 in the region this season.
 
The Huskies' two women's qualifiers, Jessica Rabius and Kaitlin Smith, will get their turn on Thursday, May 26. Smith will run the 100-meter hurdles at 6:00 p.m. immediately followed by Rabius in the 1500 meters at 6:30 p.m. Smith will be doing double-duty, like Gibson, running the 400h at 8:20 p.m. Smith won the Southland Conference title in the 100h with a wind-aided time of 13.51 and set a new school record in the 400h, running a 59.72 for the program's first-ever sub one-minute time in the event. Rabius qualifies in the 1500m with a school record time of 4:22.91 set earlier this season at the Rice J. Fred Duckett Twilight meet.
 
Ben Drew will run on Friday, May 27, in the semifinals of the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Drew defended his SLC steeplechase title at the outdoor championships and recorded his school record qualifying time of 8:47.54 at the Azusa Pacific Bryan Clay Invitational in April.
 
In the steeplechase, the top 12 finishers will advance to the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. from June 8-11. In the other track events, the top 24 in each first round race will advance to the quarterfinals on Friday and Saturday, May 28, with the top 12 in each of those advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
Smith has also already secured her spot at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon, an event in which she earned second team all-America honors last season, with the 16^th-best mark in the nation this season. The senior totaled 5,685 points at the SLC Championships, setting a new meet record.