COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Junior Zharia Taylor punched her ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the high jump on the final day of the NCAA West First Round Saturday at E.B. Cushing Stadium.
 
The top-12 finishers in each event earned a trip to Eugene, Oregon, for the national championships, June 11-14. Taylor, who was seeded 33rd in her NCAA regional debut, did not miss at her first three heights to tie for ninth in the field of 48. Her third and final clearance of the day was a personal-record 1.81 meters (5-11.25), which ranks second in school history.
 
Taylor is the Anteaters' first NCAA Championship qualifier on the women's side since 2009. She was the Big West runner-up in the high jump two weeks ago.
 
Sophomore Kailah McKenzie and junior Esmeray Demirbas also competed in the high jump but did not clear their opening height. Demirbas, an All-Big West performer and NCAA regional qualifier in the high jump and 400m hurdles, wraps up her first season as an 'Eater ranked among the top-three in program history in both events. McKenzie was an NCAA West First Round qualifier and conference scorer in the high jump and long jump.
 
On the track, senior Malia Gay finished 18th in the 800m quarterfinal at 2:06.10. It was her second-fastest time of the season after running a lifetime-best 2:05.72 in Thursday's first round. She moved up to No. 2 among UCI's all-time leaders. Gay was the Big West runner-up in both the 800m and 1500m.
 
Jazzmine Davis closed out a standout senior campaign with a 24th-place showing in the 400m hurdle quarterfinal. Davis was the Big West champion in the 400H and earned all-conference honors in the 100H (3rd). She was named the Big West Women's Track Athlete of the Meet after scoring 20 individual points and contributing to 11 relay points to lead UC Irvine to its first conference team title. Davis ranks third in program history in the 100H, 400H and heptathlon.
 
The NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, June 11-14.