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HomeSportsAPSU Track and Field's Breigh Jones qualifies for NCAA Championship

APSU Track and Field’s Breigh Jones qualifies for NCAA Championship

Austin Peay Sports Information

Austin Peay State University Lady Govs - APSUJacksonville, FL – Breigh Jones is going to Oregon.

The Austin Peay State University sophomore sprinter continued her ascension as one of the elite 400m runners in the nation with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA East Preliminaries, hosted by North Florida.

Austin Peay’s Breigh Jones qualifies for NCAA Championship. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay’s Breigh Jones qualifies for NCAA Championship. (APSU Sports Information)

The Memphis native now moves on to the NCAA Championship in Eugene, Oregon, June 11th-14th. She qualifies as one of the top 24 runners in the nation. She is the first Lady Gov to advance to the nation’s top collegiate meet under current APSU coach Doug Molnar.

“She just did an outstanding job today,” said Molnar. “It’s a true testament to what happens when you come in and put in the work everyday, which is exactly what she does. “It’s been a long time coming. I’m proud of her and her efforts.”

Breigh JonesAfter leading off Thursday’s 400m event in the first heat, on the inside lane, Jones was in the middle of the last of three heats on Friday, going off in the fourth lane against Cincinnati’s Kenya Woodall, George Mason’s Daianna Barron, Connecticut’s Celina Emerson, Miami’s Shakima Wimbley, Florida’s Ebony Eutsey, Ohio State’s Sonikqua Walker and Jacksonville’s Courtney Walker. Wimbley (second), Eutsey (third) and Emerson (10th) entered the weekend ranked top-10 regionally.

“The girls from Florida got out really fast and Breigh was right with them,” Molnar said. “She looked very comfortable against that level of competition.”

Jones was once again second in her heat, finishing behind only Wimbley in the heat. Her 52.65 again eclipsed the school record, which she set on Thursday. In four heats at the NCAA East Preliminaries in her two-year career, Jones has set the 400m record on three occasions.

She’s the first Lady Gov to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championship since Sheena Gooding in 2001.

Freshman Kaylnn Pitts will try to send two Lady Govs to Eugene when she competes in the triple jump, 4:00pm, Saturday.

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