JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Furman senior Dylan Schubert won the men's 10,000m in the wee hours of Thursday morning to open the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships East Preliminaries, which are being hosted by North Florida this week at the Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.

With just 400m left in the race, Schubert, a native of Loveland, Colo., was in sixth place.  In the second turn of the final lap, he passed two runners, then with just 200m to go, he picked off two more athletes to move into second place.  Schubert, who posted a 59.74 final lap, surged into the lead in the final straightaway to claim gold with a time of 29:00.74 and punch his ticket to the NCAA finals, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon, on June 11 at 9:56 p.m. ET.  [59.74]

The victory was Schubert's second career preliminaries win.  Last season he won the 5,000m at the meet, shattering the facility record with a time of 13:50.99.

Junior Luke Taylor, who appeared in his first NCAA East Preliminary, finished 37th in the 10,000m with a time of 30:15.06.

Earlier Wednesday evening, Senior Matthew Smith initially posted a time of 1:47.88 to place third in his heat of the 800m but was later disqualified due to stepping over the curb.  The reigning SoCon 800m champion, he established a new Furman program record with a time of 1:46.75 at the Wake Forest Invitational to qualify in the event. 

On Thursday night, the semifinal of the women's 10,000m is scheduled for 9:10 p.m.  Junior Carly Wilkes, a native of Salem, Va., will make her first NCAA East Preliminary appearance in the event.  She ranks 17th after winning the 10,000m with a personal-best time of 33:20.08 at the Raleigh Relays.  

The quarterfinals of the men's 3,000m Steeplechase will commence at 5:40 p.m. Friday.

Senior Carson Williams, who hails from Raleigh, N.C., is running in the 3,000m Steeplechase at NCAA East Preliminary for the fourth time in his career.  He advanced to the NCAA Championships in both 2022, when he placed fourth at the preliminaries, and in 2023, when he notched a third-place finish.  Williams went on to finish 11th in the NCAA finals in 2023.  The 2025 SoCon Champion, he qualified sixth with a time of 8:30.83, which he recorded at the Bryan Clay Invitational. 

Ethan Domitrovich, a native of McDonald, Ohio, is making his first appearance at the NCAA East Preliminaries as a Furman athlete.  He qualified for the Steeplechase in 33rd place with a personal-best time of 8:48.20, which he recorded at the Payton Jordan Invitational.  At John Carroll, Domitrovich finished 12th at the NCAA Division III national championship last season and was sixth in 2023.  His best national finish came in 2022, when he took fourth place.  

The women's 3,000m Steeplechase quarterfinals are slated for 5:40 p.m. and the women's 5,000m semifinals are set for Saturday at 8:10 p.m.

A native of Key West, Fla., Nicole Matysik, who will compete in the 3,000m Steeplechase, is making her first appearance at the preliminaries.  The two-time defending SoCon champion in the 3,000m Steeplechase, she ranks 35th in the event after recording a time of 10:16.36 at the Raleigh Relays.

Wilkes qualified in 31st place in the 5,000m with a PR of 15:54.45, which she posted at Wake Forest.

The top 12 finishers in each event will advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon, June 11-14.

NCAA East Preliminaries - Furman Schedule/Results
Wednesday, May 28
Men's 10,000m Semifinals – Dylan Schubert -- 1st (29:00.47) 
Men's 10,000m Semifinals – Luke Taylor -- 37th (30:15.06) 
Men's 800m 1st Round - Matthew Smith -- DQ 

Thursday, May 29
Women's 10,000m Semifinal – 9:10 p.m. – Carly Wilkes

Friday, May 30
Men's 3,000m Steeplechase Quarterfinals – 5:40 p.m. – Carson Williams & Ethan Domitrovich

Saturday, May 31
Women's 3,000m Steeplechase Quarterfinals – 5:40 p.m. – Nicole Matysik
Women's 5,000m Semifinals – 8:10 p.m. – Carly Wilkes