T&T sprinters Leah Bertrand and Akilah Lewis qualified for the finals in the women's 100 metres and 4x100m, respectively, on the second day of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One (DI) Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on Thursday (June 6).
Lewis of Ole Miss University and local club, Concorde Athletic Club, secured her lane in the women's 100m finals after finishing second in heat one of the preliminaries in 11.17 seconds to qualify for her first-ever national final with the seventh-quickest time of the nine finalists. At last year's NCAA finals, the Simplex sprinter was 20th in the preliminaries.
In the finals set for today, Bertrand of Ohio State University (OSU) will start in lane eight and will seek to become the first local since Kelly-Ann Baptiste in 2008 to win the NCAA DI women's 100 crown.
Bertrand was hoping to qualify for the 4x100m final for the second straight year but her Ohio State team was 10th best in Thursday's Prelims in 43.38, after placing third in heat three. Lewis' Ole Miss was the top team speeding to 42.22 in capturing the first heat. Lewis is competing in her third NCAA Championships. She was in the 2022 and 2023 editions as a student of Minnesota.
Taejha Badal and her Texas State teammates ended in 19th (44.03). Ole Miss will line up in lane 6 in today's finals.
Rae-Anne Serville (Memphis Pioneers) of South California was shy of advancing to the 400m hurdles finals. The national girls Under-18 and U-20 400m record-holder crossed the line in 57.13 finishing sixth in heat three.
Last evening, Texas University's Kelsey Daniel was scheduled to be in the men's triple jump finals. Shakeem Mc Kay and Louisiana State University (LSU) were carded to be in the men's 4x400m finals. LSU was to run out of lane nine.
NCAA Division One Track and Field Championships
Eugene, Oregon
Thu, Jun 6
Women
Prelims (9 advance to the finals-Top two plus best 3 best times)
100m: 7th (2h1) (Leah Bertrand (Ohio State/Simplex) 11.17
4x100m; 1st (1h1) Ole Miss (Akilah Lewis/Concorde) 42.22; 10th (3h3) Ohio State (Leah Bertrand/Simplex) 43.38; 19th (7h3) Texas State (Taejha Badal /Memphis Pioneers) 44.03
400m hurdles: 13th (6h3) Rae-Anne Serville (South California/Memphis Pioneers) 57.13
Fri, Jun 7
Triple jump Finals: (Flight 1, position 10) Kelsey Daniel (Texas/Kaizen Panthers)
4x400m Finals: Lane 9 Louisiana State (Shakeem McKay/Abilene Wildcats)
Sat Jun 8
Women
Finals
100m : Lane 8 Leah Bertrand (Ohio State/Simplex)
4x100m: Lane 6 Ole Miss (Akilah Lewis/Concorde)