News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
FAYETTEVILLE – The Texas A&M track & field women’s team added 11 tickets to nationals on the final day of the NCAA West First Round Saturday at John McDonnell Field.
The Aggie women concluded the final day of competition adding another 11 tickets to the NCAA Championships. Today’s qualifications, combined with Heather Abadie and Lianna Davidson’s Thursday, and Timara Chapman and Joniar Thomas in the heptathlon bring the women’s total to 15 heading to Eugene, Oregon.
Texas A&M’s day began in the high jump, where Lamara Distin and Nissi Kabongo secured their spots to nationals. Distin soared over three heights each on her first attempt, ending at 1.84m/6-0.5 to cruise through the event. Kabongo needed to clear the same bar as Distin on her third-and-final attempt to punch her ticket to the big meet. She did just that, and the successful attempt shot her up to No. 8 on the A&M all-time performers list.
Freshman standout Abigail Martin in her first NCAA qualifier punched her ticket in the discus, as she threw 56.11m/184-1 on her opener which held as her best throughout the event. Martin advances 11th out of the region and was the only freshman in the event to reach outdoor nationals.
The women’s 4x100m relay set the tone for the track events, as the quartet of Semira Killebrew, Camryn Dickson, Leeah Burr and Laila Hackett ran a season-best time of 43.33 to claim third in their heat and secure automatic qualification to Eugene.
Jaiya Covington was the next Aggie to claim her spot at the national meet in the 100m hurdles. She crossed the line in a wind aided 12.98 to ensure third in her heat and progress ninth overall out of the region.
The sprint duo of Killebrew and Dickson were next up on the track, and both athletes punched their tickets to the outdoor championships in the 100m. Killebrew ran a wind aided 11.09 for third in her heat, while Dickson ran a legal personal-best time of 11.10 which helped her climb the Aggie record books to No. 4. Later in the evening, Dickson also qualified for her second individual event in Eugene with a third-place finish in her heat of the 200m, crossing the line with a wind-assisted mark of 22.58.
Aggie senior Jermaisha Arnold qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships 400m event for the third-consecutive year with a fifth-overall finish in Saturday’s final, as she ran 50.95 in the second heat.
The final individual qualifier of the day was Kabongo, who like Dickson punched her second individual ticket to nationals on the day, this time in the 400m hurdles. She ran a personal-best time of 56.72 in the opening heat to ensure her advancement out of the west.
Wrapping up the meet was the 4x400m relay team consisting of Jaydan Wood, Dickson, Arnold and Kennedy Wade. The group competed in the first heat of the event and claimed automatic qualification, crossing the line in a season-best time of 3:28.53 for second.
Up Next
The Aggies conclude their 2024 season at the NCAA Outdoor Championships held in Eugene, Oregon, June 5-8.
To learn more about Texas A&M Track & Field/Cross Country, visit 12thMan.com and follow @aggietfxc.