Courtesy of UNLV Athletics
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Coming off of a strong performance on Thursday night at the 2024 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field West Regional Championships, the UNLV track & field team stepped into the final day of competition on Saturday to earn their entry into the NCAA Championships in two weeks. The team would do just that, racing into a spot in Eugene Ore.
The Rebels’ 4x100m relay would be the one to break past the West Regional Championships, finishing third overall in the third and final heat to earn an automatic qualification to the big dance. The squad consisted of Chinyere Okoro, Kennedi Porter, Shakeira Bowra and AnnaKay Maitland for a total time of 44.17, beating out the fourth-place finisher in the heat by .3 seconds. The race marks the second outdoor season in a row that the Scarlet & Gray will appear at the national championships for the second season in a row, the first time under first-year head coach Carmelita Jeter and the first relay to qualify since the 2021 season.
UNLV showcased other impressive performances during Saturday’s events, Porter competing in the quarterfinal round of the women’s 200m after earning a spot from her prelim race. The junior raced in the second heat and posted a 23.07 (+2.3) final time, good for 17th overall in the event.
The Scarlet & Grey had one field athlete take the stage over the weekend, Grace Cunningham taking the stage in the women’s high jump to start the day. Cunningham would reach a height of 1.71m (5′ 7.25″) in the event, ending the meet at 34th.
The 2024 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships will take place from Wednesday, June 5 through Saturday, June 8. You can find all information regarding the championships including tickets, broadcasts, etc.here. To get updates on all things Rebel track & field, links to the championships can be found on the team’s schedule page. You can also get live updates on how the Scarlet & Gray are faring on the team’s X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram accounts.
THURSDAY
After qualifying seven student-athletes across five events for the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field West Regional Championships, the UNLV track & field team kicked off the first of two days they’ll be competing in on Thursday. The Rebels fared well against the best student-athletes in the west, posting both personal-best times and a qualifier performance for the upcoming Saturday session.
Kennedi Porter highlighted the Rebels’ Thursday races with a qualification into the Saturday Quarterfinals round in the women’s 200m. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native posted a 22.91 (+2.4) time in the event, placing her third overall in the sixth and final heat of the event. The junior finished in the event 14th overall, looking to continue advancing up the rankings and be one of the few advancing to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She entered the meet ranked 18th in the West region.
Jaydea Carter earned a personal-best time in the women’s 100m hurdles, lowering her previous best mark that she originally set at the recent Mountain West Outdoor Championships earlier in the month. The Hollywood, Fla., native posted a final time of 13.44 (+1.0), also lowering her own mark as the fifth-fastest student-athlete in program history to compete in the event. Carter came close to qualifying for the next round of the event on Saturday, .08 seconds from a spot in the quarterfinals.
The Rebels featured a pair of strong performances in the women’s 100m later in the meet, Porter and Chinyere Okoro both running at the championships. Porter rounded out the top-30 competitors in the event, tabbing a 11.32 final time in the event. Okoro was recorded with a final time of 11.54 in the event.
The Scarlet & Gray will take Friday preparing for the final day of competition at the NCAA West Regional Championships, competing in three events over the course of Saturday’s session. Grace Cunningham will make her appearance at the regional championships to start off the day for the Rebels, competing in the women’s high jump at 2 p.m. CT. The program’s 4x100m relay will start the running events at 5 p.m. CT before later rounding out the meet with Porter in the 200m quarterfinals at 7:50 p.m. CT.
