Pitt's Desmond Palmer qualifies for NCAA nationals in 400m hurdles

Several of Pitt's track and field athletes are currently performing at regional preliminary events with hopes of reaching the NCAA Championships in Oregon in June. One of them has already made the cut.

Junior Desmond Palmer will again return to the NCAAs after finishing third in his heat in the 400m hurdles event on Friday to secure an automatic bid in the Eugene, Oregon national championships. Palmer is the two-time defending 400m hurdles champ in the ACC after first winning the event back in 2015 and then winning it again earlier this month.

Last year, he also reached the NCAAs and while he didn't win the event, he finished as a First Team All-American - pretty high honors for a sophomore.

Palmer is also hoping to reach the NCAAs in the 110m hurdles event as well. He qualified for the quarterfinals of that event, and that event will take place on Saturday.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter@PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.