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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Eastern Illinois men's track and field will be represented at the NCAA National Championships in two weeks as redshirt freshman Adam Swanson qualified in the 800 meter run.

Swanson placed third in his heat on Saturday afternoon as the top three in each heat plus the next three fastest times punched a ticket to Eugene, Oregon for the National Championships.  Swanson posted a time of 1:49.16 which was the 12th fastest time of the day.

He becomes the first EIU track and field athlete to advance to the NCAA National Championships since 2014 when Peter Geraghty and Mick Viken both advanced in the pole vault.  The last EIU track athlete to advance was Zye Boey in 2012.

At the NCAA Division I level, Swanson joins former All-American Jim Maton as Panthers that have advanced to the NCAA National Championships in the 800 meter run.  Maton was third in the nation in 1987 and seventh in 1988.

EIU wrapped up a successful weekend at the NCAA Regionals which included performances by Steven Rowe (40th – high jump) and Joe Smith (44th – triple jump) on Friday prior to severe weather postponing the running events.  On Wednesday Nick Phillips (31st – hammer), Dustin Hatfield (45th – 10,000 meter) and Riley Baker (46th – 400 meter hurdles) were all in action.