Twelve Anteaters Qualify for NCAA West First Round
May 21, 2026 | Women's Track & Field
IRVINE, Calif. -Β UC Irvine women's track & field will send a school-record 12 student-athletes to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the NCAA West First Round, May 27-30.
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Senior Nyla Baker is a double qualifier in the shot put and discus. Baker is seeded 21st in the discus with a personal-record 55.01 meters (180-6) that she established in a third-place finish at the Big West Championships. She was also the conference champion in the shot put where she wasn't far off from her PR of 15.78m (51-9.25) which she set at the Challenge Cup on April 10. This will be Baker's second NCAA appearance in the shot put and first in the discus.
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Senior Zharia Taylor, who earned second-team All-America honors in the high jump last year, will be back in the event at next week's NCAA West First Round. She qualified with a season-best clearance of 1.78m (5-10).
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Junior Kailah McKenzie is headed to her third NCAA regional and second in the long jump. McKenzie qualified with a season-best 6.21m (20-4.5) that she recorded at the Beach Invitational.
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Seniors DeAna Davis, Jazzmine Davis, and Esmeray Demirbas will also be making a return trip to the NCAA meet. DeAna Davis qualified in the hammer throw with a lifetime-best 58.67m (192-6). Jazzmine Davis made the field of 48 in the 100m hurdles with a personal-best 13.36, while Esmeray Demirbas will represent the Anteaters in the 400m hurdles where she owns a season-best 58.17.
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Juniors Halle Sutherland, Kaia Schmidt, Emma Hadley, Giselle Rodriguez, and Catalina Teran, along with senior Samantha Bartz are set to make their NCAA debuts. Bartz qualified in the 100m with a school-record 11.40. Sutherland, who was the Big West champion in the 200m, is moving on to the regional meet with a PR 23.24. Schmidt was also the Big West women's steeplechase champion and established a program-best 10:16.88 to make the field. Rodriguez qualified in the javelin with a personal-best 48.38m (158-9).
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J. Davis, Sutherland, Bartz, and Teran are seeded 19th in the 4x100 relay where the quartet ran a season-best 44.60 at the Steve Scott Invitational.
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This is the second year in a row the 'Eaters will have 10+ individuals competing in the NCAA West First Round.
The top-12 finishers at next week's regional meet will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 10-13.
Β
Senior Nyla Baker is a double qualifier in the shot put and discus. Baker is seeded 21st in the discus with a personal-record 55.01 meters (180-6) that she established in a third-place finish at the Big West Championships. She was also the conference champion in the shot put where she wasn't far off from her PR of 15.78m (51-9.25) which she set at the Challenge Cup on April 10. This will be Baker's second NCAA appearance in the shot put and first in the discus.
Β
Senior Zharia Taylor, who earned second-team All-America honors in the high jump last year, will be back in the event at next week's NCAA West First Round. She qualified with a season-best clearance of 1.78m (5-10).
Β
Junior Kailah McKenzie is headed to her third NCAA regional and second in the long jump. McKenzie qualified with a season-best 6.21m (20-4.5) that she recorded at the Beach Invitational.
Β
Seniors DeAna Davis, Jazzmine Davis, and Esmeray Demirbas will also be making a return trip to the NCAA meet. DeAna Davis qualified in the hammer throw with a lifetime-best 58.67m (192-6). Jazzmine Davis made the field of 48 in the 100m hurdles with a personal-best 13.36, while Esmeray Demirbas will represent the Anteaters in the 400m hurdles where she owns a season-best 58.17.
Β
Juniors Halle Sutherland, Kaia Schmidt, Emma Hadley, Giselle Rodriguez, and Catalina Teran, along with senior Samantha Bartz are set to make their NCAA debuts. Bartz qualified in the 100m with a school-record 11.40. Sutherland, who was the Big West champion in the 200m, is moving on to the regional meet with a PR 23.24. Schmidt was also the Big West women's steeplechase champion and established a program-best 10:16.88 to make the field. Rodriguez qualified in the javelin with a personal-best 48.38m (158-9).
Β
J. Davis, Sutherland, Bartz, and Teran are seeded 19th in the 4x100 relay where the quartet ran a season-best 44.60 at the Steve Scott Invitational.
Β
This is the second year in a row the 'Eaters will have 10+ individuals competing in the NCAA West First Round.
The top-12 finishers at next week's regional meet will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 10-13.
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Heptathlon/Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Hurdles/Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Javelin
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Heptathlon/High Jump
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
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