ATLANTA, GA— After bringing home a gold and two silver medals from the Sun Belt Conference Championship meet, four Panthers punched their ticket to the 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Outdoor Track and Field First Round, the NCAA announced on Thursday afternoon.
After qualifying for the first round of the NCAA Championships,
Maleah Heard,
Keniya Walker,
Valissa Brown and
Kayli Williams head to Lexington, Ky., for the NCAA East First Round meet beginning May 22, 2024.
Following her Sun Belt title in the 100 meters, junior
Maleah Heard qualified for two events at the NCAA meet. Heard will participate in the 100-meter and 200-meter events. Heard, the junior from Las Vegas, ran a time of 11.49 to edge Naj Watson of Georgia Southern in the 100-meter final at the SBC Championships. She also placed seventh in the 200 meters with a 24.08 time.
Heard posted a personal-bests in both of her events at the Pepsi Florida Relays, posting a 11.40 time in the 100-meter event, and a 23.50 time in the 200-meter event.
Following Heard, sophomore
Keniya Walker placed second in the 400-meter event with a 53.97 time at the Sun Belt Conference Championships to place in the qualifiers. The Greenville, S.C. native posted a personal-best 53.65 time and placed first in the qualifying round at the SBC meet.
Junior
Kayli Williams scored in two events at the Sun Belt Championships, highlighting a second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a 13.56 time to qualify for the NCAA Regionals. The Philadelphia, Penn. Native looks to beat her personal-best 13.52 mark in the event, which she previously set at the UCF Black and gold Invite on March 15-16.
Alongside Brown, senior
Valissa Brown closes her collegiate career at the NCAA Regionals competing in the 100-meter hurdles. Brown posted a personal-best 13.27 time, and finished second in the SBC prelims, to qualify for the NCAA meet. Brown finished eighth overall in the Sun Belt Championships with a 14.46 time.
Heard, Walker, Williams and Brown will represent Georgia State and attempt to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field In Eugene, Ore.
