AUSTIN, Texas – The second day of the National Championships featured the beginning of the women’s action at Mike A. Myers Track & Soccer Stadium. The Alabama track and field women’s program saw a school record fall and three student-athletes, across two events, earn podium finishes at the national meet.
In Alabama’s opening event of the day, Taylor Gorum earned first team All-America honors after her 66.60-meter attempt (218-6) secured her an eighth-place finish in the hammer throw. Gorum initially broke her own school record on her second attempt, before extending her new mark on her third and final throw to solidify her place in the final round of the event. Teammate Samantha Kunza finished the event as an honorable mention All-American.
With Gorum’s record-breaking performance, it’s now the second time in as many days that an Alabama school record has fallen while at the national meet. On Wednesday night, Tarsis Orogot set a new standard in the 200 meters after clocking a sub-20 second time in the preliminary event.
The women’s program would wrap up its field events with additional All-America honors, highlighted by a second team All-American performance from Chelsea Igberaese in the shot put. Teammate Cherisse Murray would end the event as an honorable mention All-American. Over on the runway, freshman Caelyn Harris earned honorable mention All-American status in the long jump after being the only underclassman competing in the event from the East Region.
Alabama would conclude the second day of the national meet on the track in the 10,000-meter run. For all 25 laps, Mercy Chelangat and Hilda Olemomoi hovered within the top-five threshold before ultimately finishing third and fifth, respectively. The feat marks the second consecutive NCAA Championship where the duo has placed in the top-five, the first being the Indoor Championships back in March. The duo’s efforts on Thursday night earned them first team All-America status.
At the end of the first day of the women’s competition, Alabama sits tied for fifth place with 11 points.
Crimson Tide Top Finishes
- Taylor Gorum (66.60m | 218-6) earned Alabama’s first podium finish of the National Championships after finishing eighth in the women’s hammer. Gorum initially broke the school record on her second attempt before extending her new PR on her third and final throw.
- Samantha Kunza (61.90m | 203-1) finished as an honorable mention All-American
- Flomena Asekol concluded her 2023 season as an honorable mention All-American after clocking 4:23.90 in the 1,500-meter preliminary event
- Caelyn Harris earned honorable mention All-America status after her 17th-place finish in the long jump (6.00m | 19-8.25)
- Harris was the only underclassman from the East Region competing in the event
- Chelsea Igberaese’s 13th-place finish in the shot put (17.11m | 56-1.75) made her a second team All-American, while teammate Cherisse Murray earned honorable mention All-America honors with her 19th-place finish (16.56m | 54-4)
- Distance duo Mercy Chelangat (32:49.62) and Hilda Olemomoi (32:58.81) concluded the second day with a third and fifth place finish, respectively, in the 10,000-meter final. The feat marks consecutive NCAA first team All-America honors after also earning the feat at the Indoor National Championships in March.
Nationals: UA Men Final Day Preview
- Alabama returns to Texas’ Mike A. Myers Track & Soccer Stadium Friday for the final day of the men’s competition
- The third day of the National Championships, for Alabama, will start with the men’s discus at 7:35 p.m. CT as Alan de Falchi looks to reach the podium
- The Crimson Tide will compete in four total events on Friday, one field event and three track events
- Alabama will compete for podium placements in the following events: Discus (de Falchi), 400-meter hurdles (Corde Long, Chris Robinson), 200 meters (Tarsis Orogot) and 4×400-meter relay (Khaleb McRae, Long, Orogot, Robinson)
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