Reigning national women’s 100 metres champion Leah Bertrand secured her place in the women’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m events at the 2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One (DI) Outdoor Track and Field Championships set for Eugene, Oregon from June 11-14.
On the final day of the East Regionals at the University of North Florida in Fayetteville, Florida on Saturday, the Ohio State University (OSU) student first booked her NCAA spot by anchoring her school to eighth place overall in the women’s 4x100m relay quarterfinal round in a time of 43.46 seconds. OSU was third in heat two.
Frederick’s twin sisters, Sanaa and Sole, also secured lanes in Eugene with Georgia, which was fourth in the 4x100m (43.11). Liberty, with Reece Webster and Akilah Lewis in the line-up, missed out, finishing 20th in 44.49. The top 12 teams qualified for the finals.
Bertrand then returned to the track for the women’s 100m quarterfinals where she finished second fastest in 10.99 seconds/+1.6. The 2024 Paris Olympics semifinalist recorded her second sub-11 clocking of the meet, in winning the first quarterfinal heat. The Simplex Athletic club-member ran a personal best (pb) of 10.92 in the first round two days earlier.
Webster did not advance when she was 16th-fastest in 11.33 after she was fifth in heat two. The Concorde sprinter set a pb of 11.26 in the first round of the 100m.
Bertrand ended her day by finishing fourth-fastest in the 200m quarterfinals in a pb of 22.71, improving on her previous pb of 22.91 established in the first round. Sanaa ended in 16th (23.14).
Bertrand and the teenage Frederick siblings are among ten local athletes who have qualified for the NCAA finals.
Another teenager, 18-year-old Janae De Gannes, Christopher Crawford, Kelsey Daniel, Devin Augustine, Kion Benjamin, Avindale Smith and Shakeem Mc Kay complete the list.
De Gannes leapt her way into the long jump finals with a national junior record distance of 6.58m on the second day of the West Regionals at the Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas on May 29. The 2023 North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) girls’ Under-18 gold medallist was fifth-best and improved on the previous national mark of 6.56m set by Dr Rhonda Watkins in 2006, the year De Gannes was born. De Gannes will be hoping to follow in Watkins’ footsteps and win the NCAA title as Watkins did in 2007 as a student at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA).
Crawford of Alabama University was a double qualifier securing his ticket to Eugene in the men’s shot put and discus at the East Regionals. In the shot put, held on the first day, Crawford threw 19.09m to finish seventh. The Pentecostal Life and Light Foundation graduate then returned on the third day for the discus and was again seventh with 58.91m. Louisiana State University’s (LSU) Jaden James missed out in 17th spot (54.85).
Daniel took his place in the men’s triple finals when he was fourth on the final day of the West Regionals with a personal best distance of 16.34m. Daniel missed out in the long jump ending in 15th position with 7.57m. The 2023 National Junior College champion, is the reigning NCAA DI indoor long jump gold medallist. He won the title in March with a national record of 816m.
Augustine and Benjamin were part of Minnesota’s quartet which was sixth in the men’s 4x100m quarterfinals at the West Regionals in a time of 39.07, two places behind Smith and Arkansas Pine Bluff squad, fourth-best in 38.98. The top 12 teams qualified.
Augustine and Benjamin bowed out in the men’s 100m quarterfinal stage. Augustine was 16th (10.17/+2.4) and Benjamin (10.19/+2.4).
Smith and teammates did not progress to the finals of the men’s 4x400m as Arkansas Pine-Bluff was 15th-fastest (3:07.44).
Mc Kay was in the LSU line-up which qualified from the East Regional men’s 4x400m, finishing eighth-fastest in 3:03.78.
Ole Miss student Jelese Alexander was 16th in the women’s high jump at the East Regionals with a pb of 1.79m while Lalenni Grant (Albany) and Shakira Kirk (Northwestern State) were 25th (49.55) and 36th (47.07) respectively in the East Regionals women’s discus.
T&T athletes who have qualified for the NCAA Division One Outdoor Track and Field Championships Finals (June 11-14)
Women
Leah Bertrand (Simplex/Ohio State) - 100m (10.92pb/10.99), 200m (22.91pb/22.71pb), 4x100m Ohio State (43.46)
Janae De Gannes (Concorde/Baylor) - Long jump (6.58-NJR)
Sanaa Frederick (Concorde) - 4x100m Georgia (43.11)
SoleFrederick (Concorde) - 4x100m Georgia (43.11)
Men
Christopher Crawford (Kaizen Panthers/Alabama): Shot put (19.09)/Discus (58.91)
Kelsey Daniel (Kaizen Panthers/Texas) - Triple jump (16.34 pb)
Avindale Smith (Abilene Wildcats/Arkansas Pine Bluff) - 4x100m (38.98)
Devin Augustine (Pt Fortin New Jets/Minnesota) - 4x100m (39.07)
Kion Benjamin (Memphis Pioneers/Minnesota) - 4x100m (39.07)
Shakeem Mc Kay (Abilene Wildcats/LSU) -Men's 4x400m (3:03.78)
T&T athletes Results
EAST REGIONALS (University of North Florida, Fayetteville, Florida)
Day Four (May 31)
Women
100m Quarterfinals-12 Advance (Top 3 from Each Heat plus Next 3 Fastest Times to NCAA Finals)
2 (1st/heat 1) Leah Bertrand (Simplex/Ohio State) 10.99\+1.6
16 (5th/heat 2) Reece Webster (Concorde/Liberty) 11.33/+1.4
200m Quarterfinals-12 Advance (Top 3 from Each Heat plus Next 3 Fastest times)
4 (2nd/heat 2)-Bertrand 22.71/+0.4 pb
16 (7th/heat 2) -Sanaa Frederick (Simplex/Georgia) 23.14/+0.7
4x100m Quarterfinals-12 Advance (Top 3 from Each Heat plus Next 3 Fastest Times)
4 (1st/heat 1) Georgia (Sanaa Frederick/Simplex, Sole Frederick/Simplex) 43.11
8 (3rd/heat 2) Ohio State (Bertrand) 43.46
20 (8th/heat 3) Liberty (Reece Webster (Concorde), Akilah Lewis (Concorde) 44.49
Discus (Top 12 advance to NCAA finals)
25 (10th/Group 3) Lalenii Grant (Mercury/Albany) 49.55
36 (6th/Group 1) Shakira Kirk (Northwestern State) 47.07
High jump (Top 12 advance to NCAA finals on June 11-14)
16 (8th/Group 2) Jelese Alexander (Zenith/Ole Miss) 1.79 pb
Day Three (May 30)
Men
Discus (Top 12 advance to NCAA finals on June 11-14)
7 (7th/Group 4) Christopher Crawford (Kaizen Panthers/Alabama) 58.91
17 (8th/Group 3) Jaden James (Fatima/LSU) 54.85
100m Quarterfinals-12 Advance (Top 3 from Each Heat plus Next 3 Fastest Times)
DNF - Omari Lewis (Concorde/Liberty)
200m Quarterfinals-12 Advance (Top 3 from Each Heat plus Next 3 Fastest Times to NCAA Finals)
DNS - Lewis
4x100m Quarterfinals - 12 Advance (Top 3 from Each Heat plus Next 3 Fastest Times)
40 (7th/heat 2) Liberty (Lewis, Revell Webster/Concorde) 40.47
4x400m Quarterfinals- 12 Advance (Top 3 from Each Heat plus Next 3 Fastest Times)
8 (6th/heat 2) LSU (Shakeem McKay/Abilene Wildcats) 3:03.78
Day Two (May 29)
Women
100m First Round -24 (Top 3 and next six fastest) advance to Second round)
2 (1st/heat 2) Leah Bertrand (Simplex/Ohio State) 10.92 (+1.8) pb
17 (5th/heat 5) Reece Webster (Concorde/Liberty) 11.26 pb
28 (5th/heat 4) Sanna Frederick (Simplex/Georgia) 11.38 (+0.6)
33 (5th/heat 1) Akilah Lewis (Concorde/Liberty) 11.43
200m First Round -24 (Top 3 and next six fastest) advance to Second round)
6 (2nd/heat 3) Bertrand 22.91 (-1.1)pb
14 (3rd/heat 1) Sanaa Frederick 23.23
DNS - Webster
Day One (May 28)
Men
100m First Round - 24 (Top 3 and next six fastest) advance to Second round
11 (3rd/heat 1) Omari Lewis (Concorde/Liberty)10.34
200m First Round -24 (Top 3 and next six fastest) advance to Second round
(3rd/heat 6) Lewis 21.02
Shot put First Round (Top 12 advance to NCAA fnals on June 11-14)
7 (7th/Group 4)-Christopher Crawford (Kaizen Panthers/Alabama) 19.09
WEST REGIONALS
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Day Three (May 30)
Men
Triple jump-12 Advance (Top 3 from Each Heat plus Next 3 Fastest Times to NCAA Finals)
4 (3rd/Group 3) Kelsey Daniel (Kaizen Panthers/Texas) 16.34 pb
100m Quarterfinals - 12 Advance (Top 3 from Each Heat plus Next 3 Fastest Times)
16 Devin Augustine (Pt Fortin New Jets/Minnesota) 10.17 (+2.4)
18 Kion Benjamin (Memphis Pioneers/Minnesota) 10.19 (+2.4)
4x100m Quarterfinals - 12 Advance (Top 3 from Each Heat plus Next 3 Fastest Times)
5 (2nd/heat 2) Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Avindale Smth/Abilene Wildcats) 38.98
6 (1st/heat 3) Minnesota (Augustine, Benjamin) 39.07
4x400m Quarterfinals-12 Advance (Top 3 from Each Heat plus Next 3 Fastest Times)
15 (6th/Heat 2) Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Avindale Smth/Abilene Wildcats) 3:07.44
Day Two (May 29)
Long jump-(Top 12 advance to NCAA finals on June 11-14)
5 (5th/Group 4) Janae De Gannes (Concorde/Baylor) 6.58 (+1.0) NJR... (6.36, 6.43, 6.58)
100m - 24 (Top 3 and next six fastest) advance to Second round)
31 (7th/heat 2) Taejha Badal (Memphis Pioneers/Texas State) 11.43
200m First Round -24 (Top 3 and next six fastest) advance to Second round
30 (7th/heat 5) Badal 23.55
Day One (May 28)
100m First Round -24 (Top 3 and next six fastest) advance to Second round
11 (5th/heat 3) Kion Benjamin (Memphis Pioneers/Minnesota) 10.33
12 (3rd/heat 4) Devin Augustine (Pt Fortin New Jets/Minnesota) 10.33
200m First Round - 24 (Top 3 and next six fastest) advance to Second round
47 (7th/heat 6)-Augustine 21.57
Long jump First Round
(Top 12 advance to NCAA finals on June 11-14)
15 (7th/Group 4) Kelsey Daniel (Kaizen Panthers/Texas) 7.57
400m Hurdles First Round -24 (Top 3 and next six fastest) advance to Second round
40 (8th/heat 6) Denzel Hinds (Kaizen Panthers/Houston Christian) 52.07