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Jones Advances to Finals; Collins Garners All-America Honor to Open Nationals

by Alex Clough

EUGENE, Oregon – During a beautiful evening at the historic Hayward Field on Thursday, a trio of Knights showed out during day two of the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Rayniah Jones led the way with a strong qualification for Saturday’s finals in the 100m hurdles, while Asherah Collins garnered her fifth-career All-America honor.

The first of the trio to get underway was Jones who laced up on lane seven in the third and final heat of the 100m hurdles semifinals. A strong start out of the blocks and a composed finish propelled the eight-time All-American to an automatic qualification and a 12.79.

For the fourth consecutive season, the Miami, Florida, native will compete in the finals of the NCAA Outdoor Championships, an incredible feat for Jones. Saturday, she’ll be looking for a fitting farewell to her collegiate career at 6:12 p.m. ET.

Nearly 30 minutes after Jones’ big Q, Kiah Williams tallied a second-consecutive All-America honorable mention with a 19th-place finish, crossing the line at 52.27. The honor comes after a strong senior campaign from Williams, who has dropped her personal best to claim second in program history en route to her national performance.

As Williams concluded, Collins secured a 6.09m mark in her first attempt at the long jump. The senior, competing in her fourth-consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championships, was embarking on her first event of the weekend.

With a strong second jump, Collins eventually secured a 6.23m mark to place 15th and garner a Second Team All-America honor. She is the fourth athlete in program history to be named to the second team, alongside Jen Clayton (2014), Jacquelyn Gilchrist (2012) and Sonnisha Williams (2012).

The Lake City, Florida, native will be back in the pit Saturday night in the triple jump, in which she previously tallied her first Second Team All-America honor in 2023.

Saturday Schedule

  • 5:50 p.m. ET / 2:50 p.m. PT – Triple Jump (Asherah Collins)
  • 6:12 p.m. ET / 3:12 p.m. PT – 100m Hurdles Finals (Rayniah Jones)