LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's men's and women's track and field teams will be represented next week at the NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
The NCAA announced the field for the championships on Tuesday. The meet will be held May 23-25 at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas.Â
Jonon Young will represent the women's team after qualifying among the nation's best in both the long jump and triple jump. She has the No. 3 mark in the long jump (21-3.25) and the No. 2 mark in the triple jump (42-3.25).
Young is enjoying a tremendous first year for the Golden Eagles and captured an indoor national title in the triple jump while finishing second in the long jump. She was then named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Field Athlete of the Meet after claiming conference championships in both jumps.
She will compete first in the long jump on Thursday, May 23, at 3:30 p.m. and then compete in the triple jump on Friday, May 24, at 2:45 p.m.
Leon Tafirenyika, who earned All-America awards last year in the 100 and 400 meters, will be running in the 100, 200 and 4x400 relay this time around. He was third in the nation in the 200 last year and fourth in the 400, bringing his All-America total to four. In 2022, he was seventh in the 400 and part of the 4x400 relay team that finished ninth to earn second-team honors.
He has the No. 6 time in the country in the 100 at 10.21 and the No. 17 time in the 200 at 20.79. The 100-meter prelims will be held on Thursday, May 23, at 4:10 p.m., while the 200 prelims will be held on Friday, May 24, at 3:30 p.m.
Qwintin Workman has qualified in the 400 hurdles with the No. 10 time of 51.44. This will be his second trip to nationals. Workman fell over the eighth hurdle last year and finished seventh in his qualifying heat and was also a member of the 4x400 relay team. The 400 hurdles prelims will be held on Thursday, May 23, at 5:40 p.m.
Tafirenyika and Workman will be joined in the 4x400 relay by
Shannon Turner and
Clifton Johnson after the Golden Eagles posted a mark of 3:09.06 at Sunday's Very Last Chance Meet at Cal State LA. That mark is No. 11 in the country. The prelims for the 4x400 relay are on Friday, May 24, at 5:50 p.m.
The finals in the 100, 200, 400 hurdles and 4x400 relay are all on Saturday, May 25.
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