7 Charlotte Athletes To Compete At 2024 NCAA Track & Field Championships

The Charlotte track and field teams will send seven athletes to compete in the 2024 NCAA Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. this week. The four-day meet will begin on Wednesday with men’s events and carry on through Saturday with the women’s finals. The first three days will be televised on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+, with day four to be televised on ESPN.

The Niners will kick off the competition on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET with the 4x100m team of JaNeya Hammond, Joyasia Smith, Aniya Matthews, and Ta-Halia Fairman running in the semifinals. Later that night, Riley Felts will compete in the pole vault along with Elizabeth Bailey in the javelin throw. Smith is also running in the 100m and 200m.

On Friday, Nick Scudder — the lone Charlotte representative on the men’s side — will compete in the 5000m finals at 10:55 p.m. ET.

The seven athletes competing at nationals are tied for the most in a single season in program history, equaling the mark set in 2009.

“This meet is the pinnacle of collegiate track and field competition featuring athletes from all over the country and the world representing their NCAA schools,” said Charlotte head coach Bob Olesen. “A significant number of athletes from this week will represent the USA and numerous other countries in the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.”

PREVIEWING NATIONALS
A total of 24 athletes will compete in each event. For sprints, the top nine finishers will advance to the finals. The top eight finishers will earn First Team All-American honors, while those who finish 9th-16th will be Second Team All-Americans.

HOW THEY GOT HERE
4x100m — Hammond, Smith Matthews, Fairman
At the NCAA First Round in Lexington, Ky., the 4x100m relay team posted a time of 43.88 to finish in the top-12 and qualify for nationals. Though it was not a school record, it was faster than any other relay team in school history, topped only by their school-record time of 43.52 recorded at the American Athletic Conference Championships earlier in May.

Elizabeth Bailey — javelin
Bailey set a school record on her first attempt of the javelin throw with a mark of 175’7″ (53.52m). She upped that on her third attempt with a throw of 177′ 11″ (54.22m) to set a new program-best. The Wildwood, Mo. native qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time in her career.

Riley Felts — pole vault
Felts posted a vault of 14’1.25″ (4.30m) to finish in the top-12. It was far from her high-water mark, however, as the senior currently holds the school record in the outdoor pole vault at 14 ’11 (4.55m). Felts is hoping to improve upon her Second Team All-American finish from a season ago.

Nick Scudder — 5000m
Scudder finished the 5000m semifinals in a time of 13:56.20 to place seventh. It marked his second consecutive NCAA Championship appearance and third of his career.

Joyasia Smith — 100m, 200m
Smith set a pair of school records in Lexington, running the 100m in 11.14 and the 200m in 22.55. She had already broken the 200m record on Thursday with her performance in the first round (22.70); the previous fastest time was set by Shareese Woods in 2007. She is making her debut at the NCAA Championships.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thu, June 6
***Note: all times are EST***
8:32 pm: Women’s 4x100m Relay (Prelims) — Joyasia Smith, JaNeya Hammond, Ta-Halia Fairman, Aniya Matthews
9:00 pm: Riley Felts, pole vault (Finals)
9:45 pm: Elizabeth Bailey, Women’s Javelin (Finals)
9:46 pm: Joyasia Smith, Women’s 100m (Prelims)
10:44 pm: Joyasia Smith, Women’s 200m (Prelims)

Fri, June 7
10:55 pm: Nick Scudder, 5000m (Finals)

Sat, June 8
5:32 pm: Women’s 4x100m Relay (Finals)
6:22 pm: Women’s 100m (Finals)
7:07pm: Women’s 200m (Finals)