Three American Athletes Podium During Day Two of 2024 NCAA Track & Field Championships

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 5^th 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 21^st 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 16^th 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 15^th place with a time of 22.84 seconds. She was also Honorable Mention All-America in the 100-meter dash finishing in 18^th place with a tie of 11.29 seconds.

In the 100-meter hurdles, East Carolina’s Sydni McMillan earned Honorable Mention honors with a 17^th 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 6^th place finish, while UTSA’s Ida Breigan leaped 6.40 meters for 8^th place.

Wichita State’s Lucy Ndungu earned Honorable Mention status with a 17^th 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 14^th 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) – 22^nd Place, 51.22 (Honorable Mention All-America)

Jaleel Croal (Men’s 200m Dash) – 24^th Place, 20.99 (Honorable Mention All-America)

Shevioe Reid (Men’s 200m Dash) – 11^th Place, 20.36 (2^nd Team All-America)

Abdul-Rasheed Saminu (Men’s 100m Dash; Men’s 200m Dash) – 5^th Place, 10.14 *Finals Qualifier*; 8^th Place, 20.30 *Finals Qualifier*

Tre-Sean Bouie, Nathan Metelus, Shevioe Reid, Devontie Archer (Men 4×400 Meter Relay) – 12^th Place, 3:05.59 (Second Team All-America)

UTSA

Nabil Tezkratt (Men’s 400m) – 23^rd Place, 47.16 (Honorable Mention All-America)

Gabriel Binion, Brice Chabot, Nabil Tezkratt, Martin Kouyoumdjian (Men 4×100 Meter Relay) – 17^th Place; 39.64 (Honorable Mention All-America)

Nabil Tezkratt, Martin Kouyoumdjian, Noah Rhodes, Mike Roth (Men 4×400 Meter Relay) – 15^th Place, 3:06.74 (Second Team All-America)

Men’s Finals

RICE

Ty Hampton (Men’s Javelin) – 14^th Place, 70.15m (Second Team All-America)

Shaun Kerry (Men’s Hammer Throw) – 19^th Place, 66.7m (Honorable Mention All-America)

SOUTH FLORIDA

Goodness Iredia (Men’s Long Jump) – 7^th Place, 7.86m (First Team All-America)

UTSA

Gabriel Binion (Men’s Long Jump) – 14^th Place, 7.55m (Second Team All-America)

TULANE

Jack Jennings (Men’s 10,000m) – 21^st 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) 18^th Place, 11.29 (Honorable Mention All-America); 15^th Place, 22.84 (Second Team Al-America

JaNeya Hammond, Joyasia Smith, Aniya Matthews, Ta-Halia Fairman (Women 4×100 Meter Relay) – 16^th Place, 43.88 (Second Team All-America)

EAST CAROLINA

Sydni McMilian (Women’s 100m Hurdles) – 17^th 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) – 14^th Place, 3:31.21 (Second Team All-America)

Women’s Finals

CHARLOTTE

Elizabeth Bailey (Women’s Javelin) – 21^st Place, 49.96m (Honorable Mention All-America)

Riley Felts (Women’s Pole Vault) – 2^nd Place, 4.55m (First Team All-America)

RICE

McKyla Van Der Westhuizen (Women’s Javelin) – 3^rd Place, 57.51m (First Team All-America)

Tara Simpson-Sullivan (Women’s Hammer Throw) – 2^nd 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) – 8^th Place, 6.40m (First Team All-America)

WICHITA STATE