EUGENE, Ore. – UCF sent its women’s 4x100-meter relay and All-American Rayniah Jones through to the finals of the women’s 100-meter hurdles, and Cincinnati All-American Ellie Leather qualified for the championship final in the women’s 1500-meter run during the second day of the 2022 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships on Thursday at Hayward Field.
 
The UCF relay lineup of Jones, Ciara Holback, Beyonce Defreitas and I’Asia Wilson checked in as the runner-up in the first women’s 4x100 semifinal heat, clocking a time of 43.22 to secure the eighth overall final seed. The Knights previously finished 14th in the nation in the event in 2019, claimed 16th place at the 2017 championships, placed 21st in 2015 and earned 11th place in 2014 as American Athletic Conference members.
 
Jones, the national runner-up in the women’ 100 hurdles in 2021, finished third in a competitve third semifinal heat to register the eighth-fastest overall prelim time of 12.95 and qualify for Saturday’s event final. Jones previously posted a 12.79 earlier in the season at the North Florida Collegiate Invitational to lead The American.
 
Leather, the American conference record holder in the women’s 1500-meter run and a multi-event conference champion, logged the number six semifinal time in 4:14.20 to punch her ticket to the final. Leather is making her first career outdoor NCAA Championships start after qualifying for the NCAA East preliminary round the past two seasons.
 
East Carolina pole vaulter Sommer Knight concluded her standout career with an eighth-place finish in the women’s pole vault, clearing 4.30m/14-1.25 to capture First Team All-America accolades. Knight was the national third-place finisher in the event in 2021.
 
Houston’s Naomi Taylor enjoyed a successful final race in the women’s 100 hurdles, crossing the finish line in 10th place with a time of 12.97 to lock up Second Team All-America honors.
 
AMERICAN ATHLETES AT THE 2022 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8
 
Cincinnati
Steven McElroy; Men’s 400-Meter Dash (19th Place, 46.30, Honorable Mention All-America)
 
Houston
Jordan Booker, Dylan Brown, Edward Sumler IV, Shaun Maswanganyi; Men’s 4x100-Meter Relay (38.66, Top Finals Seed)
Trey Johnson, Tyrell Valentine, Jordan Booker and Quivell Jordan-Bacot; Men’s 4X400-Meter Relay (22nd Place, 3:07.60, Honorable Mention All-America)
Quivell Jordan-Bacot; Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles (13th Place, 13.75, Second Team All-America), Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles (49.52, Sixth Finals Seed)
Shaun Maswanganyi; Men’s 100-Meter Dash (10.15, Fifth Finals Seed), Men’s 200-Meter Dash (20.26, Fifth Finals Seed)
Edward Sumler IV; Men’s 100-Meter Dash (20th Place, 10.30, Honorable Mention All-America), Men’s 200-Meter Dash (23rd Place, 20.86, Honorable Mention All-America)
De’Vion Wilson; Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles (24th Place, 14.53, Honorable Mention All-America)
 
Finals Of Men’s Events
 
Houston
Antonio Ruiz; Men’s Pole Vault (12th Place, 5.40m/17-8.5, Second Team All-America)
 
Memphis
Cole Riddle; Men’s Pole Vault (14th Place, 5.30m/17-4.5, Second Team All-America)
Robby Watson; Men’s Hammer Throw (23rd Place, 65.24m/214-0, Honorable Mention All-America)
 
Wichita State
Michael Bryan; Men’s Hammer Throw (Fifth Place, Conference Record 71.56m/234-9.0, First Team All-America)
Taran Taylor; Men’s Javelin (Fourth Place, Conference Record 78.76m/258-5.0, First Team All-America)
 
AMERICAN ATHLETES AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS – THURSDAY, JUNE 9
 
UCF
Rayniah Jones, Ciara Holback, Beyonce Defreitas, I’Asia Wilson; Women’s 4x100-Meter Relay (43.22, Eighth Finals Seed)
Rayniah Jones; Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles (12.95, Eighth Finals Seed)
 
Cincinnati
Ellie Leather; Women’s 1500-Meter Run (4:14.20, Sixth Finals Seed)
 
Houston
Naomi Taylor; Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles (10th Place, 12.97, Second Team All-America)
 
South Florida
Shaneylix Davila; Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles (20th Place, 13.31, Honorable Mention All-America)
Sanique Walker; Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles (17th Place, 58.42, Honorable Mention All-America)
 
Finals Of Women’s Events
 
Cincinnati
Leonie Troeger; Women’s Javelin (21st Place, 50.34m/165-2.0, Honorable Mention All-America)
 
East Carolina
Sommer Knight; Women’s Pole Vault (Eighth Place, 4.30m/14-1.25, First Team All-America)
 
Memphis
DeeNia McMiller; Women’s Hammer Throw (19th Place, 64.36m/211-2.0, Honorable Mention All-America)
 
South Florida
Shaniya Benjamin; Women’s Long Jump (20th Place, 5.90m/19-4.25, Honorable Mention All-America)
 
AMERICAN ATHLETES AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS – FRIDAY, JUNE 10
 
Finals Of Women’s Events
 
UCF
Brittany Floyd; Women’s Heptathlon
 
Finals Of Men’s Events
 
Houston
Jordan Booker, Dylan Brown, Edward Sumler IV, Shaun Maswanganyi; Men’s 4x100-Meter Relay
Quivell Jordan-Bacot; Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles
Shaun Maswanganyi; Men’s 100-Meter Dash, Men’s 200-Meter Dash
 
South Florida
Romaine Beckford; Men’s High Jump
 
Tulsa
Michael Power; Men’s 5000-Meter Run
 
AMERICAN ATHLETES AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS – SATURDAY, JUNE 11
 
Finals Of Women’s Events
 
UCF
Rayniah Jones, Ciara Holback, Beyonce Defreitas, I’Asia Wilson; Women’s 4x100-Meter Relay
Adrienne Adams; Women’s Discus
Asherah Collins; Women’s Triple Jump
Brittany Floyd; Women’s Heptathlon
Rayniah Jones; Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles
 
Cincinnati
Ellie Leather; Women’s 1500-Meter Run