The NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships are this week, and several Hampton Roads athletes will compete Wednesday through Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Leading the way is LSU junior Michaela Rose. The Suffolk native, who was homeschooled, is looking to defend her national title in the 800 meters. She is the No. 1 seed with a time of 1 minute, 59.05 seconds. She also will run on the 4×400 relay, which is seeded No. 7.
Rose has run six career outdoor sub-two-minute performances, including 1:59.05 at the NCAA East First Round, the No. 4 performance in collegiate history. She also is on The Bowerman watch list, an annual award presented to the most outstanding athletes in collegiate track and field.
She will compete against former Ocean Lakes star Aniya Mosley. The Ohio State sophomore is seeded No. 9 in the 800 with a time of 2:01.52. She finished second in her heat and sixth overall in a time of 2:01.52. Her time is a new program record.
Southern Cal freshman and former Heritage standout Madison Whyte will compete in the 200 meters. She is the No. 14 seed with a time of 22.59. She also will run on the 4×400 relay.
Ole Miss senior and former Bethel star Jalani Davis is the No. 2 seed in the hammer throw. Davis has a qualifying throw of 224-10½. She is a seven-time All-American who won the weight throw at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Howard senior and former Kempsville standout Noah Langford qualified in the 400 hurdles. He ran a personal-best time of 50.55 at the NCAA East First Round. He won the event at the MEAC Championships last month at Norfolk State.
And recent Harvard grad and former Oscar Smith standout Aaron Shirley will run on the 4×400 relay. Shirley, along with Gregory Lapit, Peter Diebold and Lance Ward, ran 3:03.76 — three seconds faster than their previous best — at the NCAA East First Round to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Their time broke the Ivy League record in the event and is a new school record.
Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, [email protected]