With The University of Memphis Track team regular season end insight, six Tigers have qualified for the May 30 and 31, NCAARegionals in Columbus, Ohio.
Freshman distance runner Istvan Kerekjarto, along with seniorFerenc Bekesi, both from Hungary will compete in the 1500 meters ofthe NCAA's.
The pair qualified just in time with two weeks and five meetsleft in the season.
Bekesi's qualifying time of 3:49.38 has earned the transferstudent from Baylor
University his first opportunity to advance to theNationals.
Bekesi said he is excited, despite not beating his best time of3:45.36.
"I'm real happy about it," Bekesi said. "Although I know that Ican do better."
This is the first time the duo and other track athletes acrossthe nation have ever had to qualify for Regionals, since the newformat has been recently implemented into the schedule.
Bekesi said the additional races are not a problem because insome ways it actually helps him and his teammates.
"I've always wanted to go to Nationals and it never happened,"Bekesi said.
"But right now we have this Regional race, where we have toqualify, and after that we can qualify for the real NCAA meet. Soit makes it easier to go somewhere."
Unlike most of the members on their team, Bekesi and Kerekjartohave a bigger goal, aside from the NCAA's in mind.
"I just want to see what my limits are basically," Bekesi said."Also for us Hungarians, it's a pretty good deal to go to theEuropean championships.
It's almost as hard as the NCAA's or even a little bit harder,so that's what I've been trying to do every year.
"Also it's a cool thing to come here and run for The Universityand try to help The University and get an education and run justlike we would do back home, except back home it would be muchharder."
Bekesi said the educational system is very different in Hungarythan it is in America. Their classes last about 12 hours a day,making it difficult to balance school and track because they'releft with very little time.
"It (The U of M) just fits us better, personally and as runners,like you can do both things together," Bekesi said. "It's justhelpful, you can get an education and you're getting betterday-by-day. You qualify for the European and World championshipsand the NCAA's, everything you do is just good for you."
With a more flexible schedule, Bekesi and Kerekjarto have timeto enjoy the simple things of life. Like chasing after their puppy,Zatopek, who was named after the famous Czech distance runner EmilZatopek. Bekesi said they got the 12 week-old black Labrador andSpaniel mix for free near campus.
Bekesi's days on campus are dwindling as the computer sciencemajor has one more cross-country season, after which he'llgraduate.
In his first year with the Tigers, Kerekjarto has managed toqualify for the Regionals in the 800m as well, with a time of1:48.61. He is the first Memphis freshman to qualify in an outdoorevent since 1994, when Austin Dickinson qualified
in the 100m. He has already qualified for the Europeanchampionships that will be held in Poland.
"My goal is to win the national," Kerekjarto said.
Head coach Glenn Hays said although the freshman qualified inthe 1500m, the 800m is really his race.
"That's most likely the race he'll be running in the NCAAregionals and in the conference championships," Hays said. "So his1500 meter days are probably over with for this season. He's gotanother couple of seconds to go to equal his best ever (in the800m), and I wouldn't be surprised if he does that."
Others Tigers to qualify for the regionals are Mate Nemeth inthe 3000m steeplechase with a time of 8:50.92, Gaute Mykelbusts inthe shot-put and Gary Nemeth earned an NCAA qualifying mark in the200m dash with a time of 21.14.
The Tigers will compete this weekend in Murray, Ky. at theMurray State Invitational, as well as in the Penn Relays inPhiladelphia, Pa.
