PROVO — Lexy Halladay-Lowry picked a great way to wrap up her collegiate career.

The BYU senior set an all-time school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Saturday night, claiming national runner-up honors in 9 minutes, 8.68 seconds at Heyward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Halladay-Lowry, who won a pair of team national championships in cross country, finished behind only Alabama sophomore Doris Lemngole — who set a new collegiate and meet record in 8:58.15.

Fast? Blazing fast. Lemngole’s time is just 12 seconds off the current world record set by Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech of 8:44.32 in 2023; and the fastest time in a women’s steeplechase in the world this year now belongs to the NCAA cross country champion.

“She’s an incredible competitor,” Halladay-Lowry said of Lemngole. “She’s one of the best in the world. … It’s been a great experience to get to race her and have the opportunity. I’m super happy that I had the opportunity to race with her.”

But the senior from Meridian, Idaho, who also holds the program’s all-time outdoor 5,000-meter record in 14:52.93, as well as the indoor 3,000 in 8:40.60, tallied her second outdoor All-American honor as the only harrier who could keep up.

“It was a great five years,” said Halladay-Lowry, choking back emotion. “I’m really proud of myself for the people I met, the relationships I made. When I came in as a freshman, my first steeple I think I ran 10:06. To end with a 9:08, I’m proud of myself and I’m super grateful for my teammates and my coaches. It’s bittersweet. I’m really excited for the next thing, but I gave my heart to this.”

Halladay-Lowry’s national runner-up paced the Cougars to 18th place overall with 16 points. Georgia won the women’s title with 73 points, followed by USC, Texas A&M, Washington and Illinois.

Utah State sophomore Shelby Jensen finished seventh in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:36.61, and BYU sophomore Taylor Lovell added a top-10 finish for the Cougars with a ninth-place effort in 9:39.43.

The Cougars weren’t done, either.

Meghan Hunter added a third-place finish in the 800, when the senior from Provo clocked a 1:59.03 — just missing her own all-time school record of 1:58.95 set a few weeks ago at the NCAA West preliminary round.

Stanford’s Roisin Willis set a meet record with a winning time of 1:58.13 in the event.

Sami Oblad also claimed All-American honors, finishing seventh in the 400 in 51.57 seconds — the highest finish in a flat sprint (100, 200 or 400) in BYU women’s track and field history, and just under a second off her school-record time of 50.49 set at the BYU Robison Invitational earlier this year.

Jenna Hutchins added 11th in the 5,000 meters in 15:40.87, and Gretchen Hoekstre took 22nd with a discus throw of 50.46 meters (165 feet, 7 inches) for All-America honorable mention honors for the Cougars.

Full Results

EUGENE, Ore. – The Illinois women’s team placed fifth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with 29.5 points on Saturday (June 14) from Hayward Field at Oregon. This is the program’s highest finish in 29 years since the 1996 squad placed fourth.

It’s only the second time this century that the team has finished inside the top-10 joining the 2002 team that took 10th. Fifth is now the program’s third-highest finish as the 1995 and 1996 teams each finished in fourth.

This marks the sixth time the Orange and Blue women have concluded the outdoor season inside the top-10. The six All-American’s are also the most the program has seen since the 1996 team had 10.

“I’m immensely proud of what we’ve done,” said director of track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou. “We did something that no other Illinois women’s track and field team has done in nearly 30 years and that’s place top-5 in the country. Not to mention, we were one and a half points shy of walking out of here with a trophy.’

‘A huge shout out to every one of our All-American’s: Sophia Beckmon, Tacoria Humphrey, Mia Morello, Abria Smith, Melissa Wullschleger and Rose Yeboah. Every single point that they fought for and earned made this fifth-place finish possible. I want to mention the men’s All-American’s too with Kam Garrett and Cody Johnston. I’m proud of their efforts and can’t wait to see how they improve next season.’

‘We are only going to get better. I’m ecstatic to welcome in all our signees to join this already talented and competitive roster. There’s no place like Illinois and we showed that this weekend; we can compete with the best of the best in the nation. Next year we will be bringing a trophy home with us.”

Rose Yeboah is the national runner-up in the high jump leaping a season-beast 1.93m (6-4). She’s the first Illini high jumper to earn All-America honors in consecutive seasons since Stacy Ann Grant achieved this feat in 1996, 1997 and 1998. This is now the school’s fifth high jump All-America honor.

Yeboah completes her senior season with two All-America honors and a Big Ten Outdoor Championships silver medal. The Kumasi, Ghana native is now a NCAA champion, NCAA runner-up, four-time All-American, a Big Ten champion and four-time Big Ten medalist.

Melissa Wullschleger closes her freshman year as an All-American heptathlete with her program record 5,928 points. She’s the program’s first All-American in the event since Carmel Corbett in 1996 and collects the school’s third heptathlon All-America honor.

Wullschleger also placed fourth a month prior at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships with 5,749 points. Additionally, the Olten, Switzerland native improved her program’s third-best javelin to sling her into All-American contention 44.20m (145-0).

Lucie Kienast did not finish the heptathlon today and completes her freshman campaign as a Big Ten silver medalist. Her then-program record heptathlon of 5,851 points was set at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships to earn her that silver medal. In addition, she owns the program’s seventh-furthest javelin, 38.18m (125-3), and sixth-best indoor shot put at 14.65m (48-0 3/4).

STANDINGS

1. Georgia – 73

2. USC – 47

3. Texas A&M – 43

4. Washington – 31

5. Illinois – 29.5

6. Stanford – 29

7. South Carolina – 38

8. Arkansas – 26

9. New Mexico – 25

10. Oregon, Texas – 23

HEPTATHLON

Melissa Wullschleger – Fourth (5,928 points)

• Placed third in the javelin with the program’s third-best throw, 44.20m (145-0).
• Placed 10th in the long jump, 5.96m (19-6 3/4).
• Placed 14th in the 800m (2:18.82).

Denny Harper, the former UC San Diego water polo coach, was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame, marking a significant recognition of his 42-year coaching career. During his tenure, Harper led the Tritons to 942 combined wins, overseeing both the men’s (697-496-4 record) and women’s teams, and earning multiple coaching accolades for his excellence. Under his leadership, the Tritons showcased consistent championship performance, including a historic NCAA Final Four appearance as the first Division III team in 1995. The ceremony highlighted Harper among four other distinguished individuals in water polo, celebrating his legacy in the sport.

By the Numbers

• 42 years coaching UC San Diego water polo
• 942 total victories (men’s and women’s teams combined)
• 17-time ACWPC National Coach of the Year
• 19-time WWPA Coach of the Year
• 15 NCAA Championship appearances for the Tritons

State of Play

• UC San Diego transitioned to NCAA Division I in 2020, enhancing its competitive landscape.
• The Tritons have maintained a strong academic record, graduating at an average rate of 91% among scholar-athletes.

What’s Next

As a Hall of Fame inductee, Harper’s influence may continue to inspire current and future coaches and players in water polo, potentially increasing interest and participation in the sport at various levels. His legacy contributes to UC San Diego’s reputation, potentially attracting talent and resources to strengthen the program further.

Bottom Line

Denny Harper’s induction into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame cements his impact on the sport, representing decades of dedication and achievement that not only shaped his teams but also the broader landscape of water polo. This recognition serves as a powerful reminder of the lasting contributions made by educators and coaches in fostering athletic excellence.

Track & Field | 6/14/2025 11:38:00 PM

EUGENE, Ore. – The 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field ended on Saturday with junior North Carolina A&T Spirit Morgan proving she is one of the 10 best high jumpers in the nation.

The second day of competition at the NCAA nationals included the women going after event national championships, which included two Aggies. Morgan competed in the high jump, and junior teammate Olivia Dowd competed in the triple jump.

On Saturday, Morgan finished in a ninth-place tie with Southern Utah’s Aja Hughes at 6 feet, ½ inches. For her efforts, Morgan will earn second-team All-American honors. It tops off a fantastic season for the University of Cincinnati transfer. Before coming to A&T, Morgan qualified for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round twice at Cincinnati.

She came to A&T and won the 2025 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) indoor title in the high jump by jumping 5 feet, 10 inches. She jumped into the top five nationally during the outdoor season when she jumped 6 feet at A&T’s Aggie Invitational at Marcus T. Johnson Track on April 19. A month later, she won the CAA outdoor high jump title with a personal record of 6 feet, ¾ inches.

On Saturday, Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko won the national title in the high jump, clearing the bar at 6 feet, 5 inches. Morgan joins men’s 400-meter hurdler Xzaviah Taylor as the only two Aggies to earn second-team All-American honors after NCAA nationals.

Meanwhile, Dowd, the first A&T women’s track and field athlete to qualify for outdoor nationals in the women’s triple jump, placed 23rd on Saturday with her best leap measured at 40 feet, 10 ½ inches. After a foul on her first jump, Dowd went out to 39 feet, 7 ¾ inches before her final jump.

Two weeks ago, she jumped a personal-record 43 feet, 4 ½ inches at East Prelims to qualify for nationals. Dowd also won the CAA outdoor triple jump title in May at Marcus T. Johnson Track. The Aggies completed a season where the men won the CAA indoor and outdoor track and field championships. The men’s and the women’s programs combined to qualify 24 student-athletes for the East Prelims before qualifying 11 for NCAA nationals.

The women also had some first. They qualified for two student-athletes for throw events at the East Prelims for the first time in program history. They had a thrower – Julieth Nwosu – qualify for two throwing events at regionals for the first time in program history.

EUGENE, Ore. — Buoyed by top performances in the hammer throw, high jump and 400 meters, the Georgia women’s track and field squad distanced itself from the opposition and cruised to its first outdoor national championship in team history.

Georgia lapped the field with 73 points ahead of runners-up USC (47) and third place Texas A&M (43). Fourth-year Bulldogs coach Caryl Smith Gilbert also won national titles at USC in 2018 and 2021.

Samirah Moody won the 100-meter dash and Madison Whyte and Dajaz DeFrand went 2-3 in the 200 to lead USC.

USC placed first in the 4×100 relay with a time of 42.22 seconds.

In the 100, Moody took first with a time of 11.14 seconds while teammates DeFrand and Brianna Selby finished seventh and eighth, respectively. In the 200, Whyte, a sophomore who also anchored the 4×400 team, clocked in at 22.23 while DeFrand, a junior, finished at 22.39.

Olympic gold medalist Aaliyah Butler and Dejanea Oakley of Georgia took the first two spots in the 400 meters with Butler posting a 49.26 and Oakley a 49.65. Butler’s time was the fifth best all-time for a collegian and Oakley was eighth.

The Bulldogs expanded their lead when Elena Kulichenko won the high jump for the second straight year after tying for the title last year. The Odessa, Russia, native won with a jump of 6 feet, 5 inches.

Michelle Smith, a freshman, finished third in the 400 meter hurdles at 55.20 to clinch the team title. Skylynn Townsend took sixth in the triple jump at 44-4¼.

Georgia ended the night by finishing first in the 4×400-meter relay with Butler taking the lead in the final leg with a winning time of 3:23.62. The Trojans posted a third-place finish in the 4×400 relay with a time of 3:26.01. UCLA’s team finished seventh at 3:31.14.

The Bulldogs entered Saturday competition in the lead with 26 points after Stephanie Ratcliffe won the hammer throw on Thursday with a nation-leading distance of 234 feet, 2 inches.

Washington and USC shared the lead earlier Saturday night after Washington’s Sophie O’Sullivan won the 1,500 meters and Moody took the 100, but Georgia got 18 points from Butler and Oakley and never looked back.

Georgia also got points in the javelin with a second-place finish from freshman Manuela Rotundo and a fourth-place finish from Lianna Davidson. Senior Keslie Murrell-Ross finished sixth in the shot put.