Track and field finds success at NCAA East Regional

From May 22 to May 25, the Panthers traveled to Lexington, Kentucky, to compete at the NCAA East Regional. The Panthers fared well with several qualifiers for the NCAA Championships and many strong performances.

On Wednesday, May 22, junior Daniel Amaya PR’ed in the hammer throw. Amaya came in 24th place with a measurement of 62.24 meters. Senior Raymond Oriakhi competed in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, where he finished in 30th with a time of 13.97. Senior Ardonntrell Williams also competed in the men’s 110-meter hurdles but missed the mark to advance to the quarterfinals by one-thousandth of a second. Williams ultimately finished the day in 24th with a time of 13.92. 

In the first round of the men’s 100 meter, sophomore Darren McQueen Jr. finished in 40th with a time of 10.63. Finally, sophomore Devin Nugent finished in 12th with a time of 51.04 for the men’s 400-meter hurdles, qualifying for the quarterfinals. 

On Thursday, May 23, senior Foluke Olujide-Ajibade finished in 18th place with a distance of 59.12 meters in the women’s hammer throw. In the women’s shot put competition, first-year Norrah Lemongo finished in 37th with a distance of 14.83 meters. To finish off the day, senior Ilse Steigenga finished in fifth with a distance of 6.28 meters in the women’s long jump. This qualified Steigenga for her second event in the NCAA Championships. 

Senior Jack Miller finished in 14th with a time of 8:50.06 in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase to start the Panthers on Friday. Nugent continued his performance in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, finishing in 18th with a time of 50.97. 

Most notably, the men’s 4×400 meter relay team, consisting of junior Malik Ricketts, junior Nigel Hussey, junior Stephon Brown and Nugent, finished in 12th with a time of 3:03.92. They finished fourth in their heat with a season-best time, placing them second in program history, as well as qualifying for the NCAA Championships. 

On Saturday, May 24, the final day of the NCAA East Regional, graduate student Lydia Bottelier competed in the women’s high jump. She finished in 24th with a tied PR of 1.76 meters to finish out her collegiate career. Sophomore Eva Baldursdottir finished in 37th place in the women’s high jump at 1.71 meters. In the women’s triple jump, Steigenga finished in 46th with a distance of 11.91 meters. 

Overall, the Panthers showcased their talents in their respective events with many strong performances. Next up in the world of collegiate track and field are the NCAA outdoor championships in Eugene, Oregon. Steigenga will compete in both the long jump and the heptathlon, and Ricketts, Hussey, Brown and Nugent will compete in the men’s 4×400 meter relay. Steigenda will compete on June 6, 7 and 8, and the men’s 4×400 will compete on June 5.