EMPORIA, Kan. – The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships got underway on Thursday, with the Sunbirds qualifying for Saturday's finals in two events. FPU also produced four second-team All-Americans on Day One, continuing a strong 2024 campaign.
 
The women's 4x100 relay squad of Nydia Chance, Brianna Green, Sariyah Copeland and Ariana Vera solidified a spot in the finals after winning the first heat with a time of 44.67. The mark was the second-fastest of any team on Thursday, as the Sunbirds trailed only Pittsburg State's 44.60.
 
PacWest Champion Shemar Palmer cruised in the men's 400 prelims, taking first in his heat to secure a finals spot. His time of 46.34 was third overall on the day, and he will race for a chance at a national title on Saturday afternoon.
 
Vera took part in the women's 400, finishing her junior campaign as a top-25 runner in the nation behind a time of 55.98. Chance and Copeland both produced season-bests in the women's 100 to land as All-American Second Team members, turning in times of 11.51 and 11.54 respectively.
 
Jesse Franco was the first FPU athlete to compete on Thursday, finishing as a second-team All-American with a toss of 54.92 in the men's hammer. Green just missed the cut for Saturday's final in the women's 400 hurdles, but her mark of 59.70 was good enough for ninth nationally.
 
Meet Info

• Venue | Francis G. Welch Stadium
• Location | Emporia, Kan.
• Championship Central
• Live Results
• Live Video (track events)
• Live Video (field events)

 
FPU on Friday

• 3:30 p.m. – men's 200 prelims | Shemar Palmer, Heat 1, Lane 4
• 3:45 p.m. – women's 200 prelims | Sariyah Copeland, Heat 3, Lane 3 
• 4:35 p.m. – men's 110 hurdles prelims | Kalobe Jimenez, Heat 3, Lane 4
• 5:50 p.m. – men's 4x400 relay prelims | Shemar Palmer/Kalobe Jimenez/Zavian Cook/Garrett Fox, Heat 1, Lane 3
• 6:10 p.m. – women's 4x400 relay prelims | Sariyah Copeland/Brianna Green/Ariana Vera/Kenadhi Haslip, Heat 2, Lane 6

 
Sunbirds on Saturday

• 10:45 a.m. – men's javelin | Dejan Mileusnic, Flight 2, fifth to throw
• 12:10 p.m. – women's 4x100 relay finals | Nydia Chance/Sariyah Copeland/Brianna Green/Ariana Vera, Lane 5
• 12:45 p.m. – men's 110 hurdles finals | Kalobe Jimenez*
• 1:05 p.m. – men's 400 finals | Shemar Palmer, Lane 6
• 2:40 p.m. – men's 200 finals | Shemar Palmer*
• 2:50 p.m. – women's 200 finals | Sariyah Copeland*
• 3:50 p.m. – men's 4x400 relay finals | Shemar Palmer/Kalobe Jimenez/Zavian Cook/Garrett Fox*
• 4:00 p.m. – women's 4x400 relay finals | Sariyah Copeland/Brianna Green/Ariana Vera/Kenadhi Haslip*

 
All times PST
*denotes events where preliminary qualifying will be held on Friday