ALLENDALE, MI – A pair of powerful performances by
Samoya Neil and
D'Andra Morris on the opening day of the 2022 NCAA Division II Women's Outdoor Track & Field national championships earned the University of Mary duo All-American honors.
Neil claimed 7
th place and Morris 8
th in the long jump.
"Samoya and D'Andra handled the big stage extremely well," said UMary interim head coach
Cale Korbelik. "They both battled until the end with impressive underdog efforts coming out of the first flight of long jump. They had several strong efforts and competed until the end to get All-American status. I'm very proud of how they adapted and made changes during the competition. Samoya and D'Andra handled themselves like veterans at a national meet."
Neil hit her top mark of the day right out of the chute. The freshman from St. Andrews, Jamaica, connected for a jump of 6.00 meters (19-8.25) on her first attempt of the day. She ranked 4
th after the first round and 5
th entering the finals.
This is the first time Neil has earned All-American honors in two trips to the NCAA championships. She previously competed at the indoor championships in March.
Morris kept gaining momentum throughout the day on her way to All-American status. The senior from Kingston, Jamaica, opened with a mark of 5.84 meters before producing efforts of 5.90 and 5.92 on her next two attempts to earn a spot in the finals. Ranked 8
th entering the finals, Morris had her best mark of the day on her 6
th and final attempt when she sailed 5.93 meters to solidify her top eight finish.
For Morris, this is her 7
th time earning All-American honors and the second time in the long jump. She placed 8
th at the 2022 indoor championships before winning the triple jump national title the next day.
Both Marauders outperformed their seedings. Neil was ranked 14
th entering the competition and Morris was 18
th.
Morris is the first of three Marauders scheduled to compete on Friday, May 27. The 2021 NCAA women's outdoor triple jump runner up is ranked first entering the 2022 event, which begins at 3:45 pm. A pair of UMary All-Americans follow.
Elizabeth Acheson races in the 800 at 5:15 pm and
Tereza Bolibruch competes in the 100 meter hurdles at 5:50 pm.
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