SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA track & field teams have 13 qualified performers set to begin their NCAA postseason journey this week at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas, taking on the NCAA Outdoor West First Round. Competition runs May 27-30 and will be streamed throughout on ESPN+
Topping the Roadrunners’ qualifiers and competing in her third consecutive Regional, four-time All-American just Ida Breigan (Fredrikstad, Norway) earned her second American Conference championship in the long jump after hitting 6.58m (21-7.25). Breigan ranks third nationally and also in the ultra-competitive West with a 6.74m (22-1.5) from the Texas Relays. Indoors, Breigan finished eighth at the NCAA Championships and last reached nationals in Eugene in 2024 when she also finished eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She has qualified for the Regional meet each year of her career. Breigan will also anchor the Roadrunner women’s 4x400-meter relay, which snapped UTSA’s 1992 record on an American-title 3:33.73, entering the week at 20th among the West competition field, with Breigan joined by senior Fatoumata Kabo (Carpenedolo, Italy), senior Shadae Findley (Evergreen, Jamaica) and sophomore Selma Ims (Sandnes, Norway).
It’s a big UTSA field in the Regional long jump, as the Roadrunners rank fourth among national event squads in the event. Breigan will be joined by junior Edlin Laur (Tallinn, Estonia), who reached 6.27m (20-7) at the UTSA Invitational and is 35th in the West. Also in the long jump, sophomore Nyariek Kur (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) was the American silver medalist and ranks 47th in the West at 6.20m (20-4.25).
Both dual-event qualifiers, Laur is 28th among West high jumpers after earning bronze at the American on a season-best 1.80m (5-10.75). Laur is No. 2 on UTSA’s all-time list with a 1.82m (5-11.5) career mark. Kur is also set for the triple jump after logging a bronze medal at conference on a 13.09m (42-11.5) skip that ties for 23rd in the West field. Joining Laur in the high jump, sophomore Mia Lien (Jakobsli, Norway) went 1.77m (5-9.75) at conference in her lone outdoor performance. Lien is the UTSA record-holder after hitting 1.83m (6-0) last season.
The highest-ranked UTSA men’s performer, redshirt junior (Bridgetown, Barbados) Jemuel Miller enters Regional week ranked 10th in the national NCAA standings and seventh in the West after hitting a school-record 16.56m (54-4) to win the triple jump at the American Outdoor Championships in Denton. His conference effort was a mere centimeter shy of claiming Barbados’ national record that has stood since 1992. A three-time All-American, Miller will compete in his third NCAA West competition, last advancing to Eugene with a 12th-place national finish in 2024.
Pacing the UTSA throwers, senior Daisy Monie (Mission, Texas) registered a pair of scoring performances at the American, ranking 12th in the West field with a UTSA all-time No. 2 shot put measurement of 16.71m (54-10) from the Pacific Coast Invitational. Monie also qualified in the discus as the Roadrunners’ record-holder at 52.69m (172- 10) from Texas A&M’s Alumni Muster – where she is 33rd in the field.
Monie isn’t the only thrower in the field for the Roadrunners, as grad Lauralyn Clifford (Toronto, Ontario) notched the American title in the hammer throw, as well as resetting the UTSA and Saint Lucia national records several times this season. She’ll enter the week with a conference-meet 60.72m (199-2) toss for 32nd in the West. In addition, junior Nyaluet Diew (South Sioux City, Nebraska) will appear in the shot put after earning silver at the American on a season-best 16.15m (53-0) heave – sitting at 24th in the West.
The highest on-track qualifier for the Roadrunners, Ims will also individually compete in the 400-meter hurdles, where she ranks 19th in the West with a season-best 57.27 that garnered her the silver medal at conference.
Representing the UTSA men in the long jump, freshman Cyrill Kernback (Zufikon, Switzerland) reached 7.58m (24-10.5) in his rookie season and is 43rd in the West. Junior Martín Kouyoumdjian was fourth in the American 400-meter and reached a career-best 45.95 at the Mt. SAC Relays for 28th in the West competition field. Repping the women in the 400m, Findley snapped the UTSA record on a 52.91 at conference to tie for 43rd in the West.
The four-day Regional competition is split into men’s and women’s days. The first event on the schedule for UTSA this week will be at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday with the men’s long jump, followed by the men’s 400m first round at 7:25 p.m. On Thursday, the women’s hammer throw will kick things off at 9:30 a.m., followed by the long jump at 6:30 p.m., shot put at 7 p.m., 400m first round at 7:25 p.m. and 400m hurdles at 8:25 p.m. Friday has the triple jump at 6 p.m. and the 400m second round at 6:50 p.m. In the women’s final day of action, the discus leads off at 1 p.m., ahead of the high jump at 2 p.m., triple jump at 6 p.m., 400m second round at 6 p.m., 400m hurdles second round at 7:25 p.m. and concluding the meet on the 4x400m relay at 8:45 p.m.
The meet will feature live results from FlashResults. The competition will be streamed throughout the week on ESPN+ at the following links: Day 1 (7 p.m.), Day 2 (7 p.m.), Day 3 (6 p.m.), Day 4 (6 p.m.). Digital program for the meet can be found here.
Up next: Individuals who advance through the West First Rounds will move on to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, scheduled for June 10-13 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
- UTSA -