The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA West Preliminaries
Birdow leads No. 18 Women’s Track & Field qualifiers for NCAA Championships on final day of West Prelims
05.30.2026 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Birdow, Krause-Jentsch, Minor, Bernard and Le Goff secure NCAA Championships berths as Longhorns close out competition in Fayetteville.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Amelliah Birdow posted the fastest 400-meter hurdles time of the evening to lead No. 18 Texas Women's Track & Field on Saturday as the Longhorns secured seven NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifiers on the final day of the NCAA West Preliminary Round at John McDonnell Field.
Birdow cruised to victory in heat three, clocking a meet-leading 54.95 to advance to the NCAA Championships, while Anouk Krause-Jentsch earned a spot at the national meet after placing second in heat, crossing the line in 56.59. Mackenzie Collins narrowly missed advancing on time, finishing 13th overall with a time of 57.12.
In the 400 meters, Bayleigh Minor recorded a career-best 51.12 to finish second in heat two and secure her place in Eugene. Elise Cooper posted a time of 52.75 and finished 21st overall.
Carleta Bernard advanced to the championships in the 100 meters after winning heat one in a season-best wind-aided 11.01, the sixth-fastest time of the quarterfinal round. Abigail Wolfe finished 16th overall in the quarterfinals with a time of 11.17, while Naomi London placed 18th in 11.22.
Jeanne Le Goff qualified for her first NCAA Outdoor Championships in the triple jump, placing seventh with a mark of 13.56 meters (44-6) on her opening attempt of the competition.
Texas opened the day by advancing its 4x100-meter relay squad to the national meet. The quartet of London, Holly Okuku, Wolfe and Ramiah Elliott placed third in heat two with a time of 43.28, the fourth-fastest mark of the session.
After lightning in the area delayed the final two races of the meet, the 4x400m crew of Birdow, Elliott, Krause-Jentsch and Minor closed out the night earning a qualifier in the 4x400m by winning heat three in 3:27.03.
Okuku narrowly missed qualifying individually in the 200 meters, finishing 13th overall with a season-best time of 22.87, one-hundredth of a second outside the time qualifier. Sophie Atkinson placed 27th in the 5,000 meters with a time of 16:14.77.
The NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held June 10-13 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Texas Longhorns NCAA Outdoor Championship Qualifiers
Women
Carleta Bernard – 100m
Amelliah Birdow – 400mH
Tabea Eitel - Heptathlon
Anouk Krause-Jentsch – 400mH
Jeanne Le Goff – Triple Jump
Giavonna Meeks – Hammer Throw
Bayleigh Minor – 400m
Relays – 4x100m; 4x400m
Men
Osawese Agbonkonkon – High Jump
Kody Blackwood – 400m Hurdles
Chris Brinkley Jr. – 400m Hurdles
Kelsey Daniel – Triple Jump
Shaiquan Dunn – Shot Put
Kendrick Smallwood – 100m Hurdles
Relays – 4x100m; 4x400m
