FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Eastern Kentucky University junior Ahmed Jaziri will race for a national title in the men's 3,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday afternoon.
 
The race is set to go off at 4 p.m. ET at the University of Arkansas' Randal Tyson Track Center.
 
It will air live on ESPN3.
 
Jaziri – a native of Rades, Tunisia – qualified for the national championship race by running a personal-best 7:55.71 at the Camel City Invitational in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on February 20. That is the second-fastest 3K time in EKU history.
 
The converted time of 7:50.24 has Jaziri ranked fourth in the field of 16 men.
 
Cooper Teare (7:46.10) and Cole Hocker (7:46.44) of Oregon and Mario Garcia Romo (7:48.40) of Ole Miss are the only student-athletes ranked ahead of Jaziri in the race.
 
Jaziri is the 12^th EKU athlete all-time to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. He is the first to do so in the 3,000 meters.
 
Jacob Korir (silver in the 2008 men's 5,000 meters) and Jamie King (bronze in the 1998 women's mile) have provided EKU's best all-time performances at the indoor national championship meet.
 
Jaziri is the only Ohio Valley Conference student-athlete – male or female – to advance to this year's NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.