Brianna Smith Jumps to NCAAs

Last weekend Winners Only covered its third straight NCAA east regional meet. Formerly known as the East Preliminary Round, now known as the East First Round, the top 48 athletes in each event took the track to finish in the top 12 and advance to the NCAA Championships. The action took place on May 23 and 25 in Lexington, Kentucky. Let's take a look at some of the most memorable moments and people of this year's East First Round.

Duke's Brianna Smith competed in the high jump at the East Regional for the fourth straight season. On May 25, the senior from Elkins Park, Pennsylvania broke through for the first time and qualified for the NCAA Championships high jump event with a mark of 1.81 meters. She also qualified for the heptathlon prior to the east regional. For those who don't know the heptathlon is the lone event where athletes qualify before regional competition.

After advancing in the high jump we caught up with a joyful Smith, "It meant a lot in my last year, to know that I can qualify for two events," she said. "I've been close. I was thirteenth in high jump last year. To go out and do both, I'm a multi [event competitor] and a high jumper. I know I can do it all. I'm really happy and just thankful to God."

This has been a banner year for Smith. During indoor season she competed at her first indoor championships, where she earned second team All-America Honors in the pentathlon. That was just two weeks after winning the ACC bronze medal in the event for the second straight season. In 2023 Smith took the ACC bronze in the heptathlon with 5,596 points this season she won the silver at 5,616 points.

"Any goal that I've had throughout my career, I've officially checked it off. The only thing left to do – I really would love to get First Team All-American at the [NCAA Championships]. I had a great career, a great time at Duke and there's really nothing left that I feel like I need to accomplish."

NCAA High Jump Qualifiers from the East First Round

1 Katie Isenbarger - Western Kentucky, 1.84

1. Charity Hufnagel - Kentucky, 1.84

1. Elena Kulichenko - Georgia, 1.84

4. Soledad Jean - Louisville, 1.84

5. Roschell Clayton - Villanova, 1.84

5. Morgan Smalls - LSU, 1.84

7. Claire Bryant - Florida, 1.84

8. Morgan Fletcher - Murray State, 1.84

9. Brianna Smith, Duke, 1.81

10. E. Grace Quinland, Indiana State, 1.81

11. Amelia Benjamin, Albany, 1.81

12. Celia Rifaterra, Virginia, 1.81

Perhaps the most outstanding accomplishment for any jumper this year was made by Morgan Smalls. The LSU senior is the only athlete that will participate in three events at the NCAA Championships. Smalls had a top five spot in the high jump at 1.84, before placing fourth in the triple jump at 13.16. On the opening day of the meet, she squeezed out a top 11 finish of 6.18 to be one of the 12 qualifiers that advanced in the long jump.

The Morrisville, North Carolina native has competed in regional competition in each of her collegiate seasons. This was the first time that she was involved in the three events since her freshman year at USC. This was the first time that she was successful in advancing in each event. Smalls has advanced to the NCAA Championships every year since her first in 2021. The previous two seasons she qualified for the high jump and long jump. In 2021, Smalls only advanced in the high jump event.

The NCAA Track and Field Championships will take place June 6 and June 8 in Eugene, Oregon.