Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Branch, 4x100 Relay punch tickets to nationals on final day of West Prelims
05/25/2019 | 11:06:00 | Track and Field
Saluki sprinter Bri'Anna Branch and her 4x100 relay mates punched their tickets to the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas, Saturday on the final day of the NCAA West Preliminary in Hornet Stadium.
The Saluki women's 4x100 relay team of Branch, Genesis Ewell, Tyjuana Eason and Tredaja Harris set a new school record with a time of 44.27 to finish sixth overall Saturday. Southern placed third in its heat to earn an automatic berth to the national meet. It marks the first time in program history that a Saluki women's 4x100 relay team has qualified for the national meet.Â
Branch wasn't done making history on Saturday. The senior sensation broke her own school record in the 200-meter dash to take second in her heat and fourth overall. The Chicago, Ill. native clocked the first sub-23 second 200m in school history at 22.74 to become the first Saluki women's sprinter since Denise Blackman in 1986 to qualify for the national meet in the 200m dash.Â
The top-12 finishers in their respective events at the NCAA East and West Preliminaries advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships held June 5-8 in Austin, Texas.
Several Salukis fell short of qualifying for the national meet. Willie Rodgers set a personal-best in the triple jump at 49'-11.25" (15.22m) to finish 19th. Adam Kessler, who was competing at his first regional meet as a Saluki, threw 59'-3.50" (18.07m) to finish 33rd. A'Veun Moore-Jones, competing at her second regional meet, placed 25th in the shot put with a toss of 51'-3" (15.62m). First-time regional qualifier Kayleigh Conlon threw the shot and finished 43rd (47'-7"/14.50m).
Overall, SIU will be represented by five student-athletes across three events at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Branch will run the 200m and the 4x100 relay alongside Eason, Ewell and Harris, while Shauniece O'Neal will throw the hammer.
