Johnson Long Jumps Her Way to Eugene

On day two of the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet at the Robert C. Haugh Complex, Liberty punched its first ticket to Eugene. Ayanna Johnson qualified for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the women’s long jump, headlining the Flames’ Thursday.

Johnson reached 19-11.5 into a 1.1 m/s headwind on her second of three long jump attempts Thursday afternoon. That mark held up for 11^th place among the East Region’s 12 qualifiers to Eugene. Jasmine Akins of Kennesaw State matched Johnson’s mark of 19-11.5 and will join Johnson as the ASUN’s first two women’s long jumpers to qualify for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships since Jacksonville’s Natasha Harvey made it in 2009.

A sixth-year senior from New Oxford, Pa., Johnson’s history-making season continues. She closed out her regular season with a 20-8 long jump at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on May 4, breaking the program record that had stood since 1984. That effort also enabled Johnson to become Liberty’s first women’s long jumper ever to qualify for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet.

Now Johnson will become the Lady Flames’ first long jumper ever to compete at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Her event is slated for June 9 at 10 p.m. Eastern at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Competing in just the second 10K of her career, Adelyn Ackley just missed notching a Eugene qualifier of her own. She came in 14^th with a time of 34:45.08 that left her just two places and nine seconds away from moving on.

Isis Brooks will have an opportunity to qualify to Eugene on Saturday, thanks to her impressive performance on Thursday. She finished third in her first-round heat of the 100 dash and 14^th overall in a time of 11.36. That just missed her program-record 11.35 clocking which won the ASUN title two weeks ago.

Brooks will compete in the women’s 100 dash quarterfinals Saturday at 6:35 p.m. with the top 12 finishers booking a trip to Oregon.

Taylen Langin cleared the first two pole vault heights (12-6 and 12-11.75) on her first attempt to tie for 27^th place in the competition.

A pair of Liberty seniors wrapped up their collegiate careers on Thursday. Naomi Mojica (39^th place, 180-7) and Grace Artis (42^nd, 176-5) opened the day in a rain-soaked hammer competition. Mojica then returned to action in the evening’s final event, the women’s shot put, coming in 42^nd at 48-4.75.

Women’s NCAA National Qualifiers

Ayanna Johnson – Long Jump – 19-11.5

Up Next

The men’s portion of the meet will wrap up on Friday. The day’s first event, the men’s discus, will feature three Flames (Beau Backes, Jose Ballivian and Kevin Nedrick) and begin at 1 p.m.

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