University of Tennessee Athletics
Photo by: Cayce Smith/Tennessee Athletics
Hayden, Taylor Headed To Nationals, Lady Vols Tally Five Qualifying Marks At NCAA East Prelims
May 25, 2023 | Track & Field
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Lady Vol track & field All-Americans Chandler Hayden and Charisma Taylor each booked their tickets to the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships on Thursday, qualifying for the national meet in the hammer throw and long jump competitions, respectively, on Thursday at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in Jacksonville, Florida.
Hayden started the women's portion of the meet on a high note, needing only her first throw of the hammer to qualify for her first career outdoor national championships. The junior from Pittsfield, Illinois, heaved the metal sphere 62.78 meters (206') to place ninth overall, securing a top-12 qualifying spot for the upcoming national meet in Austin, Texas.
Competing in her second of four events at the East prelims, Taylor leaped a mark of 6.23 meters (20-5.25) on her first long jump attempt to grab the 11th qualifying bid. Her mark narrowly made the championship cut by less than two inches as the Nassau, Bahamas, native punched her first ticket to outdoor nationals as a Lady Vol.
Taylor also led off five qualifiers in the running events on Thursday, taking third in her heat of the 100-meter hurdles after overcoming an early stumble and finishing with a time of 13.12 seconds. The versatile Lady Vol will run the quarterfinals on Saturday at 6:15 p.m. between competing in the 4x100-meter relay and triple jump in her regional finale.
After finishing the SEC Outdoor Championships as the top individual point scorer, Lady Vol speedster Jacious Sears qualified for quarterfinals in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes on Thursday with a pair of heat victories. The Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, native clocked wind-aided times of 10.97 and 22.57 to cruise into the next rounds, ranking second and fourth among the NCAA East regional field.
Additionally, Lady Vol freshman Javonya Valcourt and senior Kyla Robinson-Hubbard each earned quarterfinal bids with third-place heat finishes their respective events. The rookie Bahamian international took eighth overall in the 400-meter dash with a time of 52.66 to advance, while the veteran from Calabasas, California, was 15th in the 400-meter hurdles field with a mark of 57.81.
Full results from Thursday at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds can be accessed via Flash Results, Inc.
UP NEXT: The men of Tennessee are back in action Friday at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds with 17 opportunities to advance to the national championships. Competition begins at 5 p.m. with the men's 4x100-meter relay quarterfinals and concludes at 8:45 p.m. with the men's 4x400-meter relay quarterfinals.
Hayden started the women's portion of the meet on a high note, needing only her first throw of the hammer to qualify for her first career outdoor national championships. The junior from Pittsfield, Illinois, heaved the metal sphere 62.78 meters (206') to place ninth overall, securing a top-12 qualifying spot for the upcoming national meet in Austin, Texas.
Competing in her second of four events at the East prelims, Taylor leaped a mark of 6.23 meters (20-5.25) on her first long jump attempt to grab the 11th qualifying bid. Her mark narrowly made the championship cut by less than two inches as the Nassau, Bahamas, native punched her first ticket to outdoor nationals as a Lady Vol.
Taylor also led off five qualifiers in the running events on Thursday, taking third in her heat of the 100-meter hurdles after overcoming an early stumble and finishing with a time of 13.12 seconds. The versatile Lady Vol will run the quarterfinals on Saturday at 6:15 p.m. between competing in the 4x100-meter relay and triple jump in her regional finale.
After finishing the SEC Outdoor Championships as the top individual point scorer, Lady Vol speedster Jacious Sears qualified for quarterfinals in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes on Thursday with a pair of heat victories. The Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, native clocked wind-aided times of 10.97 and 22.57 to cruise into the next rounds, ranking second and fourth among the NCAA East regional field.
Additionally, Lady Vol freshman Javonya Valcourt and senior Kyla Robinson-Hubbard each earned quarterfinal bids with third-place heat finishes their respective events. The rookie Bahamian international took eighth overall in the 400-meter dash with a time of 52.66 to advance, while the veteran from Calabasas, California, was 15th in the 400-meter hurdles field with a mark of 57.81.
Full results from Thursday at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds can be accessed via Flash Results, Inc.
UP NEXT: The men of Tennessee are back in action Friday at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds with 17 opportunities to advance to the national championships. Competition begins at 5 p.m. with the men's 4x100-meter relay quarterfinals and concludes at 8:45 p.m. with the men's 4x400-meter relay quarterfinals.
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Track & Field
Hurdles/Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Jumps/Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & FieldEverything Orange S2 | Sarah Schmitt (Track & Field)
Thursday, April 17
Track & Field | 400m Hurdles Feature
Wednesday, May 22
Track & Field | Tennessee Invite Recap
Wednesday, April 10
Track & Field | Battle on the Bayou Recap
Saturday, March 30
