University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
NCAA East Regional
Steigenga, Men's 4x400 Relay Team Earn Bids to NCAA Championships
5/25/2024 8:22:00 PM | Track & Field
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ilse Steigenga and the men's 4x400 meter relay team highlighted the Panthers' outstanding performances at the NCAA East Regional. With their results, Steigenga and the quartet of Malik Ricketts, Nigel Hussey, Stephon Brown and Devin Nugent move on to compete at NCAA Championships June 5-8.
Steigenga had previously secured her spot at NCAA Championships with her personal best performance of 5,637 points in the heptathlon at ACC Championships. Steigenga will enter the meet ranked 18th in the country in the seven-part event. With her mark in the long jump competition at Regionals, Steigenga secured a second bid to compete at NCAA Championships.
The Pitt men's 4x400 meter relay will return to NCAA Championships after last competing in the event on the brightest stage in 2021 when Ade Jones-Roundtree, Lonzell Feagin, Matt Wilson and Cobe Wiggins placed 18th with a time of 3:09.97.
WEDNESDAY RECAP
Daniel Amaya finished in 24th place with a new personal best measurement of 62.24-meters in the hammer throw.
Ardonntrell Williams and Raymond Oriakhi competed in the first round of the men's 110-meter hurdles. Williams finished in 24th place, coming one thousandth of a second shy of advancing to the quarterfinals. In a competition where there were six heats, the top three finishers from each heat plus the next six fastest times moved on. Williams' time of 13.92 (13.917) was the seventh fastest remaining time, behind the final qualifying time of 13.916. Oriakhi finished 30th with a speed of 13.97.
Sophomore Darren McQueen Jr. finished 40th in the men's 100-meter first round, crossing the line in 10.63.
Devin Nugent capped off the night with a quarterfinal qualifying time in the men's 400-meter hurdles. Nugent crossed the line in 51.04, finishing 12th out of 48 competitors in the field.
THURSDAY RECAP
Foluke Olujide-Ajibade threw 59.12-meters on her first throw of the day for 18th place in the women's hammer throw.
In her first NCAA Regional appearance, freshman Norrah Lemongo finished in 37th place with a toss of 14.83-meters in the women's shot put competition.
Ilse Steigenga concluded the second day of competition for the Panthers by punching her second ticket to NCAA Championships with her 6.28m, 5th place placement in the women's long jump. This is the second event that Steigenga will compete in at NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
FRIDAY RECAP
In the men's 3000-meter steeplechase, Jack Miller just missed out on qualifying for Nationals with a 14th place finish in 8:50.06.
After advancing to the quarterfinals with his performance on Wednesday, Devin Nugent finished 18th overall, crossing the finish line in 50.97. With the top 12 finishers advancing to Eugene, Nugent was six spots shy in a race that featured a facility record and numerous personal bests.
The men's 4x400 meter relay team of Malik Ricketts, Nigel Hussey, Stephon Brown and Devin Nugent ran a season's best and number two program time of 3:03.92 to earn a bid to NCAA Championships. The quartet finished fourth in their heat and 12th overall to advance out of the East Regional.
SATURDAY RECAP
Lydia Bottelier and Eva Baldursdottir began the day with the women's high jump. Bottelier, a graduate student from Erwinna, Pa. closed out her collegiate career tied for 24th and tied her personal best mark of 1.76-meters. Baldursdottir was unable to clear the bar when it was moved up to 1.76-meters and bowed out of competition at 1.71-meters for 37th place.
Ilse Steigenga finished 46th in the women's triple jump, leaping 11.91 meters to close out the NCAA East Regional for the Panthers.
NEXT UP
Ilse Steigenga and the men's 4x400 meter relay team will trek to Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon to compete at the highest level of NCAA Division I Track & Field. The men's 4x400 meter relay national semifinal is scheduled for Wednesday, June 5. Steigenga will represent Pitt in the long jump on June 6 and in the heptathlon June 7-8.
Players Mentioned
