EUGENE, Ore. – Three American Athletic Conference athletes podiumed at the 2024 NCAA Track & Field Championships on Thursday as Charlotte’s Riley Felts and Rice’s Tara Simpson-Sullivan finished as the NCAA Runner-Up in their respective events, while Rice’s McKyla Van Der Westhuizen took home third place in javelin.
Simpson-Sullivan began the day strong for American Athletic Conference athletes, setting a new conference record in the hammer throw on her 5th throw of the day with a mark of 69.94 meters to finish as the NCAA Runner-Up in the event.
Felts matched her personal best and conference record of 4.55 meters in pole vault to finish as the NCAA Runner-Up in pole vault.
In javelin, Van Der Westhuizen earned First Team All-America honors in javelin, finishing in third place with a conference record mark of 57.51 meters. Charlotte’s Elizabeth Bailey had a top throw of 49.96 meters for 21st place, earning Honorable Mention honors.
Charlotte’s 4×100 meter relay team of JaNeya Hammond, Joyasia Smith, Aniya Matthews and Ta-Halia Fairman finished in 16th place for Second Team All-American honors with a time of 43.88 seconds.
Smith added another Second Team honor in the 200-meter dash, finishing in 15th place with a time of 22.84 seconds. She was also Honorable Mention All-America in the 100-meter dash finishing in 18th place with a tie of 11.29 seconds.
In the 100-meter hurdles, East Carolina’s Sydni McMillan earned Honorable Mention honors with a 17th place finish, clearing the finish line at 13.03 seconds.
A pair of American athletes earned First Team All-America honors in long jump. SMU’s Funminiyi Olajide jumped 6.48 meters for a 6th place finish, while UTSA’s Ida Breigan leaped 6.40 meters for 8th place.
Wichita State’s Lucy Ndungu earned Honorable Mention status with a 17th place finish in the 10,000-meter run, completing the race at 34:18.02.
South Florida’s 4×400 meter relay team of Shaniya Benjamin, Zahria Allers-Liburd, Terren Peterson and Amenda Saint Louis ended the evening with a 14th place finish, running the relay with a time of 3:31.21 to earn Second Team All-America Honors.
The 2024 NCAA Track & Field Championships will continue Friday with the conclusion of the men’s events.
AMERICAN ATHLETES AT THE 2024 NCAA TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5
SOUTH FLORIDA
Devontie Archer (Men’s 400m Hurdles) – 22nd Place, 51.22 (Honorable Mention All-America)
Jaleel Croal (Men’s 200m Dash) – 24th Place, 20.99 (Honorable Mention All-America)
Shevioe Reid (Men’s 200m Dash) – 11th Place, 20.36 (2nd Team All-America)
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu (Men’s 100m Dash; Men’s 200m Dash) – 5th Place, 10.14 *Finals Qualifier*; 8th Place, 20.30 *Finals Qualifier*
Tre-Sean Bouie, Nathan Metelus, Shevioe Reid, Devontie Archer (Men 4×400 Meter Relay) – 12th Place, 3:05.59 (Second Team All-America)
UTSA
Nabil Tezkratt (Men’s 400m) – 23rd Place, 47.16 (Honorable Mention All-America)
Gabriel Binion, Brice Chabot, Nabil Tezkratt, Martin Kouyoumdjian (Men 4×100 Meter Relay) – 17th Place; 39.64 (Honorable Mention All-America)
Nabil Tezkratt, Martin Kouyoumdjian, Noah Rhodes, Mike Roth (Men 4×400 Meter Relay) – 15th Place, 3:06.74 (Second Team All-America)
Men’s Finals
RICE
Ty Hampton (Men’s Javelin) – 14th Place, 70.15m (Second Team All-America)
Shaun Kerry (Men’s Hammer Throw) – 19th Place, 66.7m (Honorable Mention All-America)
SOUTH FLORIDA
Goodness Iredia (Men’s Long Jump) – 7th Place, 7.86m (First Team All-America)
UTSA
Gabriel Binion (Men’s Long Jump) – 14th Place, 7.55m (Second Team All-America)
TULANE
Jack Jennings (Men’s 10,000m) – 21st Place, 29:43.16 (Honorable Mention All-America)
AMERICAN ATHLETES AT THE 2024 NCAA TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS – THURSDAY, JUNE 6
CHARLOTTE
Joyasia Smith (Women’s 100m Dash; 200m Dash) 18th Place, 11.29 (Honorable Mention All-America); 15th Place, 22.84 (Second Team Al-America
JaNeya Hammond, Joyasia Smith, Aniya Matthews, Ta-Halia Fairman (Women 4×100 Meter Relay) – 16th Place, 43.88 (Second Team All-America)
EAST CAROLINA
Sydni McMilian (Women’s 100m Hurdles) – 17th Place, 13.03 (Honorable Mention All-America)
SOUTH FLORIDA
Shaniya Benjamin, Zahria Allers-Liburd, Terren Peterson, Amenda Saint Louis (Women’s 4×400 Meter Relay) – 14th Place, 3:31.21 (Second Team All-America)
Women’s Finals
CHARLOTTE
Elizabeth Bailey (Women’s Javelin) – 21st Place, 49.96m (Honorable Mention All-America)
Riley Felts (Women’s Pole Vault) – 2nd Place, 4.55m (First Team All-America)
RICE
McKyla Van Der Westhuizen (Women’s Javelin) – 3rd Place, 57.51m (First Team All-America)
Tara Simpson-Sullivan (Women’s Hammer Throw) – 2nd Place, 69.94m (First Team All-America)
SMU
Funminiji Olajide (Women’s Long Jump) – 6th Place, 6.48m (First Team All-America)
UTSA
Ida Breigan (Women’s Long Jump) – 8th Place, 6.40m (First Team All-America)
WICHITA STATE
Lucy Ndungu (Women’s 10,000m) – 17th place, 34:18.02 (Honorable Mention All-America)
AMERICAN ATHLETES AT THE 2024 NCAA TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS – FRIDAY, JUNE 7
Finals of Men’s Events
CHARLOTTE
Nick Scudder (Men’s 5,000m)
UTSA
Jemuel Miller (Men’s Triple Jump)
WICHITA STATE
Brady Palen (Men’s High Jump)
AMERICAN ATHLETES AT THE 2024 NCAA TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS – SATURDAY, JUNE 8
Finals of Women’s Events
RICE
Alice Taylor (Women’s High Jump)
Eliza Kraule (Heptathlon)
WICHITA STATE
Destiny Masters (Heptathlon; Women’s High Jump)
