Alabama
NCAA East Preliminaries
Alabama Advances Six Across Three Events on Final Day of East Prelims
5/25/2024 11:20:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Na’Taja Ballard, Ariike Elijah, Milan Fields, Caelyn Harris, Doris Lemngole and Hilda Olemomoi all advanced to the NCAA Championships
LEXINGTON, Ky. – On the final day of the NCAA East Prelims, the Alabama track and field women's program advanced six student-athletes, across three events, to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.
In Alabama's opening event of the day, Na'Taja Ballard, Ariike Elijah, Milan Fields and Caelyn Harris solidified their place at Eugene, Ore., behind a 43.87 performance in the 4x100-meter relay. The quartet joined the UA men's contingent, as Alabama successfully advanced both 4x100-meter relay teams to the national meet for the second year in a row.
Next on the track, Doris Lemngole punched her ticket to Nationals behind an NCAA East Preliminary and facility-record performance 9:28.91 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The feat not only solidified her first appearance in the Outdoor National Championships, but also her third sub-9:30 time this year, the most ever in one season in the collegiate event.
With one NCAA-qualifying performance already secured, Hilda Olemomoi returned to the track, this time in the 5,000-meter race. Similar to Lemngole, Olemomoi's 15:19.57 time broke the facility record, as well as the NCAA East Preliminary event record, as the Trans-Nzoia, Kenya, native punched her second ticket to Eugene, Ore., after already advancing in the 10,000m Thursday night.
Seven Crimson Tide student-athletes who qualified for Nationals previously earned podium finishes at the Southeastern Conference Championships. UA will have representation in 12 events at the National Championships, as three of those will feature multiple Crimson Tide student-athletes. Of UA's 14 event qualifications, Alabama will compete in both male and female versions of the the 10,000 meters and the 4x100-meter relay.
What Head Coach Dan Waters Said
"I thought it was a good weekend, and I'm super proud of our team, as well as all our athletes who advanced to the National Championships. All of our goals are well within reach heading into Nationals after having advanced around 20 athletes across several events. Recovery for the National Championships starts right now. Competing in an elite conference like the SEC greatly prepared us for this weekend, and I'm proud of how we fought throughout these four days. With that said, we will now shift our focus to Nationals, set ourselves up for a great week in [Eugene, Ore.] and finish this 2024 season on the right note."
Crimson Tide Top Finishes
- The Tide's 4x100-meter relay squad (Na'Taja Ballard, Ariike Elijah, Milan Fields, Caelyn Harris) opened the final day by securing their trip to Eugene, Ore., clocking a season-best time of 43.87
- Doris Lemngole ran away from her steeplechase heat, clocking a facility record time of 9:28.91 as the performance also broke the NCAA East Preliminary record to punch her ticket to the National Championships
- The feat was Lemngole's third sub-9:30 time of the year, the most ever in one season in the event
- Hilda Olemomoi punched her second ticket to the national meet, dominating her 5,000-meter heat to take both the facility record (15:19.57) and the NCAA East Preliminary event record
- Miracle Ailes concluded her time at the regional meet in the high jump, posting a final mark of 1.71m (5-7.25)
- Amani Heaven ended her week with a 50.14-meter (164-6) performance in discus
Up Next
- Alabama will take a week off before gearing up for the NCAA Outdoor National Championships (June 5-8), held in Eugene, Ore., at the iconic Hayward Field
- Alabama will be sending 20 athletes to compete in 12 events at the national meet
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaTrack on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
