Northern Illinois University triple jumpers Katrina Small and Diamond Riley wrapped up the Huskies' participation in the 2022 NCAA Track & Field West Preliminary Saturday night at John McDonnell Field at the University of Arkansas.
Small, a senior from Atlanta, Ga. (The St. Michael School) and Riley, a junior from St. Louis, Mo. (Ritenour HS) both recorded two fair jumps on the night. Small's top jump of 12.47 meters (40-11) was good for 34th among the 48 qualifiers, while Riley's best of 12.38 meters (40-7 1/2) put her 37th.
Although NIU did not advance any athletes to the NCAA Championships, NIU Director of Track & Field Connie Teaberry was pleased with the effort the Huskie qualifiers put forth. The triple jumpers were joined by Skylynn Blue (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central), Scout Regular (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy) and Jazmyn Smith (Pinecrest, Fla./Pinecrest), who competed Thursday in the 200 meters, 100-meter hurdles and long jump, respectively.
"What a way to end the 2021-22 season," Teaberry said. "While it didn't go exactly like we wanted with a berth to the NCAA finals, it does conclude with each athlete giving their best effort, and that's all the coaches can ask. There are a lot of athletes that did not make it to the NCAA prelim round, so we are grateful for the success they had qualifying. This is not an easy competition to advance from and can be extremely intimidating. The athletes came in mentally and physically ready, it just didn't happen this season.
"We are extremely proud of these ladies and the entire team. We had a lot of change this year from last and we appreciate the athletes trusting the process. The staff is excited for the 2022-23 season and what it holds for the athletes academically and athletically."
With the Huskie track and field team completing its season in Arkansas, the 2021-22 competition season is now complete for NIU Athletics.
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