University of Hawai'i track and field athletes Amanda Alvarez, Samantha Balentine, and Joanna Franke-Kuhn will compete in the NCAA West Preliminary Round, May 23-25 at the University of Texas' Mike A. Myers Stadium.
 
The top 48 athletes per event qualified for each of the prelims, held in Austin, Texas (West) and Greensboro, N.C. (East). From there, the top 12 finishers at each prelim will qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships next month in Eugene, Ore.
 
Alvarez will compete in both the long jump and triple jump. The senior from Vancouver, Wash., is tied for seventh in the West Region in the triple jump at 42-9.5 (13.04m) and tied for 46^th in the long jump at 19-6.75 (5.96m). The Big West triple jump champion will compete in the long jump on Thursday and in the triple jump on Saturday. This year's meet marks her second straight NCAA West Preliminary Round appearance.
 
Balentine, a senior from Lodi, Calif., will compete in the high jump, where she is third in the West Region at 6-0.5 (1.84m). The Big West Field Athlete of the Year will compete in her fourth NCAA Prelims. Her previous best was a tie for 17^th in 2011. Her event will take place on Friday.
 
Franke-Kuhn, a junior from Duncan, British Columbia will make her first NCAA West Preliminary Round appearance in the hammer throw. The Big West silver medalist is 37^th in the West Region at 189-2 (57.66m), where she set at the conference championships two weeks ago in Northridge, Calif. The hammer throw is scheduled to take place on Thursday.
 
Since the NCAA changed the regional format from four sites to two, the Rainbow Wahine have sent nine athletes in 2010, five in 2011, and seven last year.
 
What: NCAA West Preliminary Round Championships
When: Thursday, May 23 through Saturday, May 25
Where: Mike A. Myers Stadium; Austin, Texas
Live Streaming: Available at ncaasports.com
Live Results: Available at www.texassports.com