Tyra Gittens will compete in three events at the June 9-12 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

On the fourth and final day of the NCAA West Preliminary meet in Texas, USA, yesterday, Gittens cleared the bar at 1.82 metres to finish fourth in the women’s high jump. The top 12 jumpers qualified for Eugene.

Gittens passed with the bar at 1.67m, and did the same at 1.72. The Texas A&M University student then enjoyed a first-time clearance at 1.77. She knocked down the bar on her first attempt at 1.82m, but successfully went over the second time around. With just nine athletes going over at 1.82, Gittens was safely among the top 12 and not required to continue jumping.

In Eugene, Gittens will compete in the seven-discipline heptathlon, as well as the individual long jump and high jump events. On Thursday, the 22-year-old topped the West Preliminary long jump competition with a wind-aided 6.95m leap.

Gittens is the national record holder in the hep with 6,418 points, the long jump at 6.96m and the high jump with a 1.95m clearance.

Kion Benjamin’s University of Minnesota bowed out in the West Preliminary men’s 4×100 metres relay. The Minnesota quartet finished eighth in heat three and 24th overall in 40.54 seconds.

Just before press time, in Florida yesterday, Kadesha Prescott’s University of South Florida (USF) finished third in the opening NCAA East Preliminary women’s 4x100m qualifying heat to book a lane in Eugene. South Florida clocked 43.95 seconds. Naomi Campbell’s Purdue University secured sixth spot in the same race in 44.54, and did not advance.

Late on Friday, Eric Harrison topped heat two in the East Preliminary men’s 200m quarterfinals in a wind-assisted 20.31 seconds. The Ohio State University senior progressed automatically to the NCAA Championships.

Dwight St Hillaire booked his ticket to Eugene on time after finishing fourth in the second men’s 400m quarterfinal. The University of Kentucky student completed his lap of the track in 45.91 seconds.

Harrison and Louisiana State University (LSU) senior Akanni Hislop exited the 100m dash. Harrison finished 17th overall in the quarterfinal round in a personal best 10.16 seconds, while Hislop was 19th in a wind-aided 10.19. The top 12 qualified for Eugene.

St Hillaire’s Kentucky and Joshua Jacob St Clair’s University of Alabama earned NCAA Championship men’s 4×400 spots by finishing first and third, respectively, in the second qualifying heat. Kentucky clocked three minutes, 04.23 seconds and Alabama 3:07.88. Harrison’s Ohio State finished fourth in the same race in 3:09.15–not fast enough to advance on time.