Terrance Laird and Matthew Boling will face-off in the quarterfinals of the men’s 100-meters at the 2021 NCAA East Preliminary Regional track and field meeting here in Jacksonville, FL, on Friday in the battle for places to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Laird and Boling will go head-to-head in the third quarterfinals, with the LSU junior starting from lane five and the Georgia sophomore next to him in lane six. Laird enters this clash on the back of a comfortable performance in the heat, while although not looking as smooth, Boling also won his heat and seems to have more left in the tank.
Laird leads the nation in both the 100m and 200m with times of 9.80 (+3.2) and a world-leading 19.81.
Where Are The 2021 NCAA Outdoor Regionals, How To Watch?
Meanwhile, Kentucky freshman Lance Lang will battle against Joseph Amoah of Coppin State in heat two, with Javonte Harding of North Carolina A&T also racing from that heat.
Florida State’s JoVaughn Martin and Florida pair Joseph Fahnbulleh and Dedrick Vanover starting in the first quarterfinal.
In the 200m, Laird, Fahnbulleh, and Lang will face-off in what I believe is the toughest quarterfinals, while Boling will race in the second quarterfinals against Vanover, Martin, and James.
Elsewhere, Noah Williams of LSU will take on Florida’s Ryan Willie and Jacory Patterson of Virginia Tech in quarterfinals three of the men’s 400m.
Quarterfinals two will see three sub-45 sprinters clashing as Randolph Ross of North Carolina A&T, Dwight St. Hillaire of Kentucky and Elija Godwin of Georgia will battle for top three places.
Trevor Stewart of North Carolina A&T will start from the first quarterfinal with Christopher Bailey of Tennessee and Ohio State’s Tyler Johnson also starting from that heat.
The highlight in the men’s 110m hurdles quarterfinals will see SEC champion Robert Dunning of Alabama taking on LSU’s Damion Thomas in heat three.
The Top 3 finishers from each heat of these races, plus the next 3 best times will advance to Eugene for the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
