UNCW senior qualifies for NCAA Track and Field National Championships

Parks qualified after finishing in 9th place at the east preliminaries in Jacksonville, FL last week.
Published: May. 31, 2023 at 1:04 PM EDT

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - A UNC Wilmington senior has qualified for next week’s NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in Austin, TX. Josh Parks will represent his school in the 110-meter hurdles.

Parks qualified after finishing in 9th place at the east preliminaries in Jacksonville, FL last week.

“I mean, it’s like a milestone,” said Parks. “The hit is definitely, like, up there. Trying to get there just show my face, be on the national stage, and stuff. My goal is always to be better than I was yesterday.”

Parks is the fifth UNCW athlete to qualify for the national championship meet since the program started in 1990. He is the first to qualify for a sprinting event.

“I didn’t know I was the first one to go to nationals as a sprinter here at UNCW for, like, the males,” said Parks. “As soon as they told me that, I felt, like, the shivers and stuff. I was like, that’s crazy. Just to be like the first one, it’s always great to be the first one to do something, but it also feels amazing just to be that, like, first person, that benchmark for other people to see and be able to chase that.”

The NCAA Track and Field National Championships are scheduled for June 7-10 in Austin, TX.