Four Chants advance to finals of NCAA Division I outdoor track & field championships

EUGENE, Ore. – Headlined by 2022 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field 60-meter dash National Champion Melissa Jefferson, the Coastal Carolina women’s track & field team had four student-athletes qualify for the finals on Saturday, while two more school records fell on day two of the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Thursday in Eugene, Ore.

The 4x100 meter relay team of Kayla Sweeney, Shani’a Bellamy, Jermaisha Arnold, and Jefferson advanced to the finals on Saturday with a new CCU and Sun Belt record time of 43.23 seconds, which is also the ninth-fastest time in the NCAA for the event this season.

Jefferson completed her night by qualifying for both the 100 and 200-meter finals on Saturday with a third-place finish in the 100-meter semifinals (10.96) and an eighth-place finish in the 200-meter semifinals (22.54), both times less than one second off her school record marks.

Arnold finished 10th in the 400-meters with a new personal best and Coastal Carolina record time of 51.24, which earned her second-team All-American honors, while Mekenze Kelley finished 24th overall with a time of 54.25 to garner honorable mention All-American accolades.

Bellamy also competed in both the 100 and 400-meter hurdles, where she posted a time of 13.60 in the 100-meter hurdles while finishing the 400-meter hurdles in 59.61 seconds. The sophomore picked up honorable mention All-American honors in both events and was joined by Alexis Glasco, who received honorable mention All-American honors in the 100-meter hurdles despite being disqualified in the semifinals heat.

The four Chants will return to action on Saturday evening, beginning at approximately 5:32 p.m. ET, as they will compete in the finals of three events at the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The finals will be broadcast live on ESPN.

Live results and broadcast links for the meet can be found on the Track & Field/Cross Country schedule page at www.GoCCUsports.com.

Women’s Results

4x100-Meter Relay

9. Kayla Sweeney/Shani’a Bellamy/Jermaisha Arnold/Melissa Jefferson – 43.23 (Q) (School Record) (Sun Belt record) (9th-fastest time in NCAA this season)

100-Meter Hurdles

21. Shani’a Bellamy – 13.60

Alexis Glasco – DQ

100-Meters

3. Melissa Jefferson – 10.96 (0.6) (Q)

400-Meters

10. Jermaisha Arnold – 51.24 (Personal Best) (School Record)

24. Mekenze Kelley – 54.25

400-Meter Hurdles

21. Shani’a Bellamy – 59.61

200-Meters

8. Melissa Jefferson – 22.54 (0.5) (Q)

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