KINGSTON, Jamaica — Trevor Gunzell of the University of Alabama and Aaliyah Foster of the University of Texas secured their places in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One Outdoor Championships after qualifying at their respective regional championships on Thursday.

Gunzell threw 19.23m, fifth best in the men’s shot put at the east first round being held at the University of Jacksonville in Florida, to book his first trip to the NCAA championships, which will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, in June.

Altwayne Bedward of Troy University was 16th with 18.51m but missed out as only the top 12 in each event from either region qualify for the national championships.

Foster was fourth in the women’s long jump at the Western Regionals being held at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, with 6.44m (0.1m/s), as she returns to the national championships in back-to-back years.

Meanwhile, at the East Regionals, Habiba Harris of the University of Florida and Dejanae Oakley of the University of Georgia won their events to advance to their finals set for Saturday.

Harris, the Southeastern Conference champion, led the qualifiers in the 100m hurdles with 12.80 seconds (1.1m/s) and was accompanied by Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) champion Oneka Wilson of Clemson, who was ninth best with 13.05 seconds (1.4m/s).

Oakley, the top Jamaican female quarter-miler this year so far, led the 400m first round with 51.15 seconds while Rushana Dwyer of the University of South Florida was 13th with 52.12 seconds.

Shanque Williams of Clemson just missed out on advancing after she ran 52.73 for 25th place.

ACC double sprint champion Shenese Walker of Florida State was fourth best in the women’s 100m running 11.02 seconds (1.8m/s) while Gabrielle Matthews of the University of Florida was 11th in the 200m with 23.16 seconds (-1.3m/s).

Machaeda Linton of Louisiana State University (LSU) just missed a place at the national championships by .02m after she was 14th in the long jump with 6.10m (-1.1m/s), with 12th place being 6.11m.

Kishay Rowe of West Virginia University and Garriel White of LSU also missed advancing in the 800m and 400m hurdles, respectively, as they finished 25th in their events.

At the Western Regionals, Shaquena Foote of San Diego State ran a personal best 50.95 seconds to advance in the women’s 400m, while Carleta Bernard of the University of Texas qualified for the next round in both the women’s 100m and 200m.

Foote lowered her own San Diego State programme record as she was third overall, while Joanne Reid of Arkansas also made progress, running a lifetime best of 51.28 seconds, 13th best overall.

Bernard ran a season’s best 11.19 seconds (1.9m/s) for 13th in the 100m and also clocked 23.09 seconds for the 200m, 12th overall.

Safhia Hinds of Kansas State was fourth best in the women’s 400m hurdles after running 56.64 seconds, Baylor University’s Calisha Taylor was seventh best with 57.26 seconds, and Dyandra Gray of the University of Minnesota was eighth best with a personal best 57.29 seconds.

Marissa Simpson of the University of Texas-El Paso was fifth overall in the 100m hurdles, running 13.09 seconds (0.3m/s) and was accompanied through to the next round by Tonie-Ann Forbes of Texas Tech, who ran 13.19 seconds (0.3m/s).

— Paul Reid