Earnest Sears III, Jordan Scott, Jalyn Jackson Advance To NCAA Track & Field Championships

Earnest Sears III in the high jump and Jordan Scott and Jalyn Jackson in the triple jump earned their way to the NCAA Track and Field Championships during a weather-shortened third day of the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary Rounds held at E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station, Texas today (May 28).   To advance to the semifinals at the NCAA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. from Jun 9-12, an athlete or relay team must finish in the top 12 at the West Preliminary Rounds.  Today was scheduled to be the final day of the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds for the men, but the meet went into a weather delay just before the running portion of the day.  Three hours later the meet was postponed for the night and a revised meet schedule for tomorrow will be prepared this evening.  The women's competition was already scheduled to conclude tomorrow.

• Earnest Sears III advanced to the NCAA Championships in the high jump with a clearance of 7-2.25 (2.19m).  He was one of four jumpers to enter the competition at the height of 6-11 (2.11m), having passed at the opening height of 6-7 and the second height of 6-9. He missed his first attempt at that height, then cleared it and the ensuing height of 7-1 (2.16m) on his first attempt.  He was one of 14 jumpers remaining as the bar went up to 7-2.25 (2.19m).  He cleared that height in his first attempt and that is all he would need to advance and he finished tied for second among the qualifiers.
• Jordan Scott and Jalyn Jackson advanced to the NCAA Championships in the triple jump.  Scott had a best jump of 54-2.50/16.52m (+1.3) to finish second overall and Jackson had a best wind-aided PR of 52-9.25/16.08m (+2.4w) to finish seventh.  He also had a wind-legal PR of 52-5.50/15.99m (+1.2) in the third round.  Darryl Shaw was in the first group of 24 jumpers and had a best jump of 51-5.50/15.68m (+3.1w) which was fourth after the first two flights, but fell to 19th after all four flights.  His jump was his best since his PR of 51-8.50 set in 2017.  All three of his jumps today beat his previous season best.

Also advancing officially today was Joy McArthur in the women's hammer throw with the eighth-farthest mark of 208-1 (53.23m).  She finished in eighth last night, but the first flight was given three more throws due to a faulty measuring laser.  None of the 16 women in that flight had a farther throw, so McArthur now is locked in for a trip to Nationals.

Tomorrow, USC's men's team will have seven athletes competing in individual events trying to earn a berth at the NCAA Championships, as well as the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.  Trojans in individual events on Saturday are:  Davonte Burnett (100m, 200m), Brian Herron (400m), Isaiah Jewett (800m), Tade Ojora (110m H), Nicholas Ramey (400m), Cameron Samuel (400m H) and Sam VanDorpe (800m).

Tomorrow, USC's women's team will have 17 athletes competing in 22 individual events trying to earn a berth at the NCAA Championships, as well as the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.  Trojans in individual events on Saturday are:  Angie Annelus (200m), Breanna Bernard-Joseph (400m H), Anna Cockrell (100m H, 400m H), Kyra Constatine (400m),  Jan'Taijah Ford (400m), Karlee Freeman (DT), Kimberly Harris (400m), Jasmine Jones (100m H), Bailey Lear (400m), Mecca McGlaston (100m H), Temi Ojora (HJ, TJ), Kaelin Roberts (400m), Rae-Anne Serville (400m), Morgan Smalls (HJ, TJ), TeeTee Terry (100m, 200m), Lanae-Tava Thomas (100m, 200m), Nicole Yeargin (400m).
 
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