Smalls, Bolden, Gunnarsson punch tickets to NCAA outdoor meet

LSU's Lisa Gunnarsson advanced through qualifying Thursday at the NCAA's East Preliminaries and will return to the NCAA Championships in the pole vault. PHOTO BY: LSU athletics.

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana – Morgan Smalls, Serena Bolden, and Lisa Gunnarsson of LSU track and field all secured their spots at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships on the second day of the NCAA East Preliminaries at the University of Indiana.

LSU’s women also had a total of 10 athletes earn spots in Saturday’s quarterfinals to earn berths to the NCAA Championships on June 8-11 in Eugene, Oregon.

The Tigers men resume their efforts in Friday’s quarterfinals with bids to the NCAAs on the line.

Gunnarsson, the reigning NCAA outdoor champion in the pole vault, cleared a bar of 14 feet, 1 3/4 inches on her third attempt to finish inside the top 12. Her season best clearance of 15-3 is the highest in the NCAA this season.

Smalls secured a spot in the NCAA Championships with an opening-round mark of 20-8 1/2 to finish sixth in the long jump. Bolden used a leap of 20-2 1/2 in the second round to finish in 10th and lock up her first career appearance at the NCAA outdoor meet.

Eight athletes advanced out of the first round for LSU of their respective events on the track.

Favour Ofili and Thelma Davies both moved on in the 100 meters and 200 meters. Ofili ran times of 11.08 and 22.29, while Davies went 11.42 and 23.02 in the 100 and 200, respectively.

Ofili and Davies will be joined by teammates Symone Mason (11.41) and Tionna Beard-Brown (11.42) in the quarterfinals of the 100 meters on Saturday.

In the 800 meters, Michaela Rose (2:04.43) and Katy-Ann McDonald (2:05.76) both advanced thanks to top three finishes in each of their heats. Alia Armstrong ran the fastest first round time of any of the 48 athletes with a readout of 12.74 in the 100 meter hurdles; Garriel White hurdled her way to a time of 57.93 in the full lap race to progress closer to a bid to nationals.

Other Results
Lorena Rangel | 1,500 Meters | 26th | 4:18.53
Hannah Douglas | 100 Meters | 43rd | 11.81
Amber Hart | Shot Put | 28th | 51’ 6.25” (15.70m)
Hannah Carroll | 800 Meters | 37th | 2:08.34
Hannah Douglas | 200 Meters | 42nd | 23.94

Up Next

More bids to the national meet will be on the line in the men’s competition Friday. A full schedule of who is doing what is viewable via the competition guide link above

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