JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – University of South Alabama track and field sophomore Kaitlyn Beans advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championships as she qualified in the triple jump Saturday on the final day of the East Region Preliminaries at Hodges Stadium.

Beans placed 12th in the women's triple jump with a distance of 12.78m.

"[Kaitlyn] Bean's qualification shows what an athlete she is," Jaguar head coach Paul Brueske said. "It's remarkable because she hasn't been able to train properly [in the event] due to a foot injury for most of the season."    

Bean's qualification for next month's championships wraps up a successful weekend for USA as eight out of 12 Jaguar entries finished higher in the events than their original seed entering the preliminaries.

The Jags will take three – including Beans, Renaldo Frechou (men's hammer throw) and Jan-Louw Kotze (men's discus throw) – to the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships June 10-13 in Eugene Ore.

Junior Christoph Graf also ran in the men's 5,000-meter event on Saturday and finished 36th with a time of 14:50.15.

"Graf didn't have the race he wanted, but he will rebound and be back next year stronger from the experience," Brueske said.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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