AUSTIN, Texas -- Wichita State track & field student-athletes Tomas Cotter, J'Lynn Ledesma and Natalie Morerod advanced to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships with their performances Friday in the NCAA West Preliminary Round.

Cotter, a junior, finished eighth overall in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase quarterfinals with a time of 8:52.44 at Mike A. Myers Stadium. The event's top 12 competitors advanced to Des Moines, Iowa for the NCAA Championships June 6-9 at Drake Stadium.

Ledesma's top mark of 5-9¼ in the women's high jump Friday gave her a 10th-place finish and also qualified the sophomore for the June finals.

Morerod, a sophomore, qualified to run in Des Moines in the women's 400-meter hurdles. She finished ninth overall Friday with a time of 57.88 -- just shy of her school record time of 57.48 in the event.

The Shocker trio is part of a group of 25 Wichita State student-athletes competing in the three-day preliminary round in Austin. The NCAA West Preliminary Round continues at 11 a.m. Saturday with the men's discus.

The trio also grew the Shockers' NCAA Championships squad to six individuals with one day of preliminary competition remaining. Tanya Friesen (heptathlon), Brett Trudo (javelin) and Aliphine Tuliamuk (10K) will also compete in Des Moines.

A handful of Shockers advanced a step closer to that goal Friday.

Morerod also qualified for the quarterfinals of the women's 100-meter hurdles with her performance in that event earlier in the day. She finished her first-round heat Friday in 13.60 and will race again in the event at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Austin.

Shocker seniors Todd McKown (13.75) and Lawson Montgomery (13.93) also advanced out of Friday's first round of the men's 110-meter hurdles. They finished eighth and 12th, respectively and will compete in the event quarterfinals at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.

Several other Shockers competed Friday, but were unable to advance to the next round of their individual events.

Junior Cory Beenken finished 31st in the men's 110-meter hurdles in 14.19, tying his personal-best time in the event.

Senior Dylan Hartnett finished 26th in the men's 400 meters in 47.87, while senior Cassie Craig finished 36th in the women's pole vault (12-4½).

Senior Audacia Moore finished 46th in the women's 200 meters with a time of 24.81, while senior Danielle Chapman was unable to advance to the next round of the women's 800 meters.

Junior Megan Fuller's throw of 147-8 Friday placed her 38th overall in the women's discus.

- Wichita State -