4x400m Relay Heads West for NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene4x400m Relay Heads West for NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene
Nicole Whitaker / UCF Athletics

4x400m Relay Heads West for NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene

by Aiden Kocol
Championship Hub Live Results Watch on ESPN2

ORLANDO – For the first time since 2014, track and field’s 4x400-meter relay squad is headed to TrackTown USA, representing the Knights at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore.

The bid extends the Black and Gold's streak of national appearances to seven consecutive seasons. Excluding the canceled 2020 campaign due to COVID-19, UCF has qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships every year under head coach Dana Boone, who took over the program ahead of the 2018-19 season.

LAST TIME OUT
In the final event of the NCAA East Preliminary, the quartet of Deja Shaw-Huckaby, Jazmen Newberry, Janiah Pulliam and Twaneise Johnson punched its ticket to Eugene with a time of 3:28.39 in the 4x400-meter relay. The Knights placed third in their heat to secure an automatic berth to Hayward Field, while their mark ranked eighth among all regional qualifiers. 

The performance also came just 0.30 seconds shy of the squad's season-best time – 3:28.09 – a time that earned the group silver at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships back in May and secured the top time in the Knights’ program record book.

THE FIELD
With the semifinal round set for 11:36 p.m. EST on Thursday, June 11, the women's 4x400-meter relay will be one of the marquee events of the NCAA Outdoor Championships, featuring other powerhouse programs such as Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and LSU.

The Knights will compete in the first heat from lane nine, carrying a season-best mark of 3:28.09 that ranks 13th nationally entering the championship. The remaining teams in the heat, along with their season-best times and national rankings, are listed below:

  • UCLA | 3:30.82, 24th
  • Miami (Fla.) | 3:30.06, 21st
  • Iowa State | 3:28.81, 18th
  • Iowa | 3:28.53, 15th
  • Duke | 3:26.33, 9th
  • Texas | 3:27.03, 10th
  • Tennessee | 3:22.73, 3rd

The top two teams in each heat, along with the next three fastest times overall, will earn a spot in Saturday night's final. Set for 11:21 p.m. EST, the championship race will cap the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships as the meet's final event.

Fans can watch both Thursday's semifinal and Saturday's final live on ESPN2.