The South Dakota State men's and women's track and field teams continued competition at the NCAA West Preliminary...

One Jackrabbit athlete qualified for the NCAA Championships through the first two days of competition.

Senior Jared Vlastuin continued his stellar career by qualifying in the long jump. Vlastuin qualified with a mark of 25 feet, three and one-half inches to finish 10th in the field of 48 competitors. He reached the distance on his second jump in the preliminary stage. Vlastuin entered the field as the No. 13 seed.

The distance was one-half inch short of his season-best and school record, which scored at the 2012 Summit League Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Vlastuin received Field Championship MVP, which included a league championship in the long jump and a pair of third-place finishes in the high jump and triple jump.

Jake Brinkmann finished 35th in the hammer throw with a mark of 187 feet, four inches. Brinkmann set the school record this season and finished third at the league championships.

On the women's side, Mary Wirth was the top finisher with a 23rd-place in the high jump. She posted a mark of five feet, seven and one-fourth inches. Wirth was the league champion at both the Indoor Championships and Outdoor Championships this season.

Brooke Garner was 26th in the discus with a throw of 161 feet, 10 inches. Garner set the school record this season and finished runner-up at The Summit League Outdoor Championships.

Amy Paulzine finished 40th in the javelin with a toss of 134 feet, two inches. Paulzine set the school record this season and finished runner-up at the league championships.

SDSU athletes compete in three events on Saturday. Garner is the No. 16 seed in the hammer throw, Vlastuin is the No. 45 seed in the high jump and Brinkmann competes in the discus.

Advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships is achieved through performance in the Preliminary Round competition at each site. Twelve competitors from each individual event and a minimum of eight teams from each relay event move on from each Preliminary Round site to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

The NCAA Championships are set to take place June 6-8 in Des Moines, Iowa.