Courtesy of Howard Athletics
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Howard University women’s track stamped a pair of entries to the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon at the NCAA East Preliminary Round in Lexington, Ky., hosted by the University of Kentucky.
Individually, graduate Simone Watkins (Frisco, Texas) had her best performance in the 400-meter hurdle quarterfinal round, clocking in at a new personal best (55.92), while locking up an automatic bid to the national stage. For her efforts, the Texas native seeks to become only the second woman in program history to earn All-American status in the long hurdles (Jessica Wright — 2022 & 2023).
Michigan’s Savannah Sutherland, who set a new facility record during the first round, had the fastest time with a 55.25 mark.
The 4×100 relay team of graduate Kailei Collins (Houston), junior Sherri-Anne Norton (Plantation, Fla.), and rookies Aiyana Gray-Williams (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Mackenzie Robinson (Ypsilanti, Mich.) opened the evening with a record-setting performance, producing an AQ time of 44.26 (school record). The four Bison punched their tickets to Eugene, Oregon looking to become the first All-American 4×100 relay squad in program history.
South Carolina posted the fastest 4×100 time, registering at 42.46.
Collins also competed individually in the 100-meter (100m) and 200-meter dashes but came up short in both quarterfinal races despite a personal best in the 100m (11.35).
Watkins and the Howard University relay team advanced to the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which will be held June 5-8 in Eugene, Ore.