JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Day three of the 2021 NCAA East Preliminaries continued on Friday at the University of North Florida in Jackson with the second day of the men's competition. Navy had five student-athletes – Cole Bailey (high jump), David Huizenga (discus), Julian Perez (3,000m steeplechase), Clayton Thompson (110m hurdles), and Brahmir Vick (110m hurdles) – compete in four events.
 
The Midshipmen put forth solid performances, but were unable to advance to the NCAA Championship in Eugene, Ore.
 
"We had a fantastic year," Director of Navy Track and Field Jamie Cook said following the meet. "I am really excited about the development that we have had over the last couple of years. Every one that competed today did some really good things."
 
"I am super proud of our group and everything they went through this year. Obviously, the competition here was a little higher. We hadn't really seen that this year since we weren't allowed to travel. It was a little bit eye opening, but our kids did great. People did really well. It is just tough when you miss it by a couple of hundredths (of a second) or miss it by a foot or two. I am really proud of our group and how they competed throughout the entire year."
 
In the high jump, Cole Bailey (Yukon, Okla.) tied a season-best height on his third jump. The junior cleared his first three heights on his initial attempt, finishing with a PR of 2.11m (6-11.00).
 
David Huizenga (Long Valley, N.J.) competed in the discus at the NCAA Regionals for the first time in his young Navy career. The sophomore notched a top throw of 45.64m (149-09) in the event on his second attempt.
 
Julian Perez (Beaumont, Texas) took part in the 3,000m steeplechase. The senior posted a time of 9:04.76 to finish seventh in his heat. The time was Perez's fourth fastest of the season.
 
The final event of the day for the Midshipmen saw Clayton Thompson (Corpus Christi, Texas) and Brahmir Vick (Middletown, Del.) taking part in the 110m hurdles. In the first of three heats, Thompson clocked a time of 13.71 (+2.4) to finish fifth in his heat. After the second heat, the senior's time still ranked in the top 12, but the final heat moved Thompson into 14th, just outside of advancing to the NCAA Championship. Vick clocked a time of 14.15 (+2.2) in his heat. The freshman finished 23rd overall in his first NCAA East Preliminaries.