A&T’s Griffin, Salmon Punch Tickets to National Championship on Final Day of NCAA East Prelims
Hunter Peters
RESULTS
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (May 27, 2023) – North Carolina A&T teammates
Jada Griffin and Paula Salmon punched their tickets to the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship as the NCAA East Regional Preliminaries came to an end Saturday night.
In total, three CAA women’s track and field student-athletes earned berths to the Outdoor Track and Field Championships as Delaware senior Megan Albamonti qualified in the javelin on Friday before Salmon advanced in the 100m hurdles and Griffin moved on in the 400m this evening. The three women’s qualifiers are the most for the conference since 2017, while the 10 total berths from the CAA – men and women combined – match the most in league history since the turn of the century.
Salmon, who qualified for the quarterfinals with a season-best time (12.75) on Thursday, nearly replicated her performance on Saturday, running 12.79 (w) to take second in her heat and place fourth overall. The All-American will make her third straight trip to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship and become the first CAA student-athlete to qualify for the 100m hurdles since 1997.
Griffin earned automatic qualification to her first NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship by finishing third in her heat of the quarterfinals. The graduate student posted a time of 52.61, which was the seventh-fastest time overall. Griffin is the first women’s national qualifier from the CAA in the 400m since 2011.
It marks the seventh consecutive season the Aggie women will be represented at the National Championship.
Hampton junior Dejah Grant finished her season in the quarterfinals of the 400m hurdles. The CAA Champion placed 16th overall with a time of 58.37 on Saturday. It marks an impressive improvement for Grant, who finished 33rd in the same event a year ago.
Delaware senior Myrissa McFolling-Young earned a top-20 finish in the discus, and Hampton sophomore Nya Harmon also competed in the event, her second of the regional. McFolling-Young, the CAA Champion, placed 19th with a mark of 50.69m (166-11.00), while Harmon finished 33rd (47.29m) to conclude her East Preliminary debut. It was the second NCAA Regional appearance for McFolling-Young, who also qualified in 2019.
Five student-athletes finished the season in the 3000m steeplechase, led by CAA Champion Madison Neuner of Northeastern, who placed 24th in 10:28.08. Elon junior Hannah Miller finished two places back in 26th (10:31.67), followed by Hofstra junior Jordyn McDonnell in 31st (10:35.77). William & Mary freshman Catherine Garrison (10:44.0) and Northeastern junior Azza Borovicka-Swanson (11:00.23) rounded out the CAA contingent in 40th and 44th, respectively. All five runners made their NCAA Regional debut.
Northeastern junior Abigail Hassman, the 2022 CAA Individual Cross Country Champion, ended her outdoor season in the 5000m, running 16:35.65 to take 37th place during her NCAA East Preliminary debut.
Hampton sophomore Dieusi Armand and Towson freshman Manie Mevo concluded their NCAA Regional debuts, competing in the triple jump. Armand took 44th (12.13m), and Mevo, the CAA Champion, placed 46th (11.83m).
The competition concluded as all do in track and field with the 4x400m relay, where North Carolina A&T and William & Mary closed out their seasons. W&M ran 3:41.17 to place 21st, and A&T finished 22nd in 3:42.32. The Tribe’s squad consisted of Amya Johnson, Mary Gregory, Emily Ervin and Carley Swierbut, while Pebbles Scott, Fajr Kelly, Mykayla Perry and Griffin made up the team for the Aggies.
Follow the CAA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get up-to-date information and learn more about all CAA member institutions and their teams.