LEXINGTON, Ky. - Nathan Kent and Brahmir Vick joined Joshua Boamah and Braden Presser in qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship during the third day of the NCAA East Preliminaries on Friday at the UK Outdoor Track and Field Complex in Lexington, Ky.
 
Kent punched his ticket to nationals in the 400m by placing 10th overall with a time of 45.69. His time ranks second in program history and missed tying the school record by only 0.01 seconds. Additionally, he became just the third mid to run the 400m under 46 seconds.
 
"Nathan (Kent) had a tough lane draw in lane nine, but came out and led the first 250m of the race. He was going up against the indoor 400m world record holder in his heat and for him to hold onto that spot was huge," said Director of Track and Field / Cross Country Jamie Cook. "We knew it would take a career race from him today to qualify and he did just that. He narrowly missed our school record and I knew he was capable of reaching that time. He ran a great race and showed a lot of poise at the end."
 
Vick clinched a trip to Eugene in the 110m hurdles. He clocked in the second-best finish in team history at 13.62 to place 10th in the race. Vick has recorded five top-10 times in the 110m hurdles this season and eight in his career.
 
"So happy for Brahmir (Vick) for all the hard work he has put in. He was in the same heat as the No. 1 ranked hurdler in the country and battled hard. He ran a great first eight hurdles and finished strong to qualify by a couple hundredths of a second, which is what we knew it would take," said Cook. "Really proud of how he executed the race nearly perfectly. For him to just miss the school record at a crucial time with no tailwind is tremendous. He has kept this team excited all week and it really paid off today for not only him, but the entire team."
 
Jacques Guillaume narrowly missed out on advancing to nationals in the 400m hurdles by only 0.24 seconds. The junior broke the program record with a time of 50.79 to earn a 16th-place finish. Guillaume beat the previous school record by 0.16, which was set by Clayton Thompson in 2019.
 
Guillaume also helped the Mids set a new team record in the 4x400m relay. Pete deJonge, Guillaume, Jay Evans and Kent ran the fastest 4x400m relay in school history at 3:04.59 to place 14th. deJonge, Guillaume, Evans and Kent have combined to record the top-three 4x400m relay times in program history at 3:04.59, 3:06.87 and 3:06.98, respectively.
 
"It's really tough for Jacques (Guillaume) considering the day he had setting the school record and barely missing nationals in the 400m hurdles. He later came out strong and helped us beat the school record in the 4x400m relay by over two seconds. It's a tough pill to swallow to not qualify in those two events," added Cook. "His leadership has allowed this group to be successful and do things Navy track and field has never seen before. He had a really good race today and I'm extremely proud of his effort. All four members of the relay team held their own today and fought hard against really good competitors. Jay Evans in particular ran a really good leg to set up Nathan (Kent) to close out strong.
 
"The 4x400m group will be back again next year and they're hungry. There were so many coaches that came up to our athletes today and praised them for how they competed. Things like that mean a lot, but at the same time it's tough when you don't make it as far as you wanted to. However, when you beat a school record by over two seconds it's hard to be disappointed in that."
 
Ben Countiss and Sam Keeny began the track events on Friday in the 3,000m steeplechase. Countiss finished in 35th place with a time of 9:12.58. Keeny compiled a time of 9:19.19 to take 40th place.
 
"I know today wasn't the way Sam (Keeny) wanted things to end, but he showed a lot of perseverance in that race. He never gave up and that's the kind of leader he has been for the cross country and distance group," said Cook. "Really proud of what he has done with this senior class with going undefeated against Army and in the Patriot League. He's a big reason why that group has set themselves apart from the rest of the conference."
 
Benjemen Schneider was Navy's lone competitor in the field events. He placed 36th in the high jump with a mark of 2.04m (6' 8.25").
 
Mia-Claire Kezal will conclude the NCAA East Preliminaries for the Mids tomorrow when she competes in the 3,000m steeplechase at 5:40 p.m. Fans can watch the race on ESPN+ with the link provided on NavySports.com(.)