T&F: Kelley Advances in 100, 200, 4x100 Relay

Wednesday, May 27

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Baylor

NCAA West Preliminary Rounds

T&F: Kelley Advances in 100, 200, 4x100 Relay

5/31/2026 12:24:00 AM | Track & Field

BU women match last year’s total with nine total entries to NCAA Championship

NCAA WEST RESULTS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In what amounted to a redemption tour, Baylor senior All-American Tiriah Kelley made it to the NCAA Championship in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay and junior Serafima Lucero advanced in the 400-meter hurdles after sitting out last year's NCAA West Prelims with an injury.

Predominantly a 200-meter runner, Kelley didn't even run the 100 in last year's regional meet. This time, she ran a school-record-tying time of 11.06 (rounded up from 11.059) in the 100 to advance with the eighth-fastest time in the field and then came back a little over an hour later to win her heat and advance with the second-fastest time in the 200 at 22.20.

"I'm genuinely so happy, tying the record for one," Kelley said of matching the program record set by Caira Pettway four years ago. "I was just running the 100 for fun. It's something I used to love doing in high school, and I was like, 'Of course, I would love to run the 100.' But to run (11.13) at conference and then (11.06) today was just truly amazing. And finding out I actually tied the school record, it means a lot."

Punching four more tickets to nationals on Saturday's final day, the Baylor women matched last year's total with nine entries for the NCAA Championship June 10-13 in Eugene, Ore., while the men will take their 4x400-meter relay and 110-meter hurdler Demario Prince.

"We've been talking about the women's team from day one. They just continue to step up when they need to step up," Baylor coach Michael Ford said. "I was really, really proud of the ladies' team. Overall, just a great day, a lot of qualifiers. Now, we just rest up and get ready for Eugene."

A bronze medalist in the 200 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championship, Kelley started her day with a blistering leadoff leg on the 4x100 relay that finished second in its heat and sixth overall with a time of 43.47. Sophomore Hannah Lowe ran the second leg, followed by freshman Jada Edwards and sophomore anchor Royaltee Brown.

"I just played my part, did what I needed to do," Kelley said. "The first leg on a 4x100 relay is so important, just getting that good start. I just knew I wanted to break some staggers and hand it off in a good position for us to get a big (qualifying spot)."

After the 4x100 relay botched a handoff at the Big 12 Championship, "it meant a lot for us to execute it properly."

"Baylor should always be at nationals. We need to be at the national meet. We just knew we had to do exactly what was needed. And I think just getting along, practicing handoffs often, just helps us with that."

Matching Pettway's four-year-old school record, Kelley nipped Texas Tech's Alyssa Colbert at the finish line to finish third in her heat and eighth overall in 11.06 seconds in the 100.

"That's what we've been talking about all year was getting her faster," Ford said, "thinking that was going to help her in the 200, too. And for her to come back and run 22.20 (in the 200), she had a great meet."

In her signature 200-meter event, Kelley led from wire to wire and won her heat in 22.20 seconds, .02 off her own school record and the second-fastest in the field. Freshman Success Oyibu nearly advanced as well, finishing fifth in her heat and 14^th overall with a career PR time of 20.90.

Running in her first NCAA postseason meet, Lucero followed up her 56.35 time in Thursday's opening round by winning her heat and recording the ninth-fastest overall time to advance to the NCAA Championship. This time a year ago, all she could do was watch from the sidelines after tearing her planter fascial tendon the week before the Big 12 meet.

"I was really upset," said Lucero, who broke the program record in the event when she won the Baylor Invitational with a time of 55.93. "I already had my regional mark, and I was hoping I could just skip conference. But at regionals, I found out I tore it completely, so there was no coming back. It was super disappointing to sit there and watch.

"That's why this year is so sweet. We've just worked so hard, and it's coming together. I have the best teammates, the best coaches. Every single person on this team pushes each other and holds each other to a high expectation. Just being able to go (to Oregon) with them is going to be a blast."

Other than Oyibu in the 200, those missing out on NCAA Championship bids lincluded Janae De Gannes in the 100 meters, Brown in the 100 and 200 and Ruth Kimeli in the 5,000 meters. After advancing in the 10,000 meters on Thursday, Kimeli seemed to run out of gas over the last half of the race and finished 29^th overall in 16:20.7.

After a little over one-hour lightning delay, Ford subbed Kelley out of the 4x400 relay, which finished last in its heat and 22^nd overall in 3:37.9.

Taking a total of 11 entries (including a pair of relays), Baylor will leave next Sunday for the NCAA Championship, which begins June 10 at Hayward Field in Eugene.

"I'm extremely motivated," Kelley said. "This is obviously my last year, so I want to have fun and do something amazing. I want to be able to do well enough to get a (pro) contract and know that I can continue do this in a professional way."

For the latest news on the Baylor track and field team all year long, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorTrack.

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NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS

Women
Logan Todorovich, heptathlon
Janae De Gannes, long jump
Molly Haywood, pole vault
Tenly Kuhn, pole vault
Ruth Kimeli, 10,000 meters
4x100 relay (Tiriah Kelley, Hannah Lowe, Jada Edwards, Royaltee Brown)
Tiriah Kelley, 100 and 200 meters
Serafima Lucero, 400-meter hurdles

Men
Demario Prince, 110-meter hurdles
4x400 relay (Aren Spencer, Malik Franklin, Bailey Hashmi, Tyler Honeyman)