Story Courtesy of MAC Sports Information

EUGENE, Ore. – Kent State's Gabby Bailey earned First Team All-America status with a sixth-place finish in the discus throw as the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships came to a close on Saturday evening.

After a solid opening throw of 184'-5", which matched her qualifying mark at the NCAA East Preliminary Round, Bailey sat in 12th overall and needed her third attempt to travel at least 187'-2" in order to advance to the event finals. She calmly launched a throw of 189'-5", which is the second-best mark of her lifetime, to move into sixth. Bailey fouled on her first attempt in the finals and followed with two solid throws but was unable to top her mark from the third round.

Bailey posted the Golden Flashes' 10th top-8 discus throw finish at the NCAA Championships all-time. Her throw of 189'-5" is a program record at the NCAA meet. Fellow Jamaican Danniel Thomas-Dodd previously had the best throw of 187'-4" in 2014. Runner-up finishes by Thomas-Dodd (2014) and Mindy Wirtz (1995) are the best all-time in the event by a Mid-American Conference student-athlete.
Saturday's performance concluded an outstanding week for Bailey, who claimed Second Team All-America status in the shot put by placing 15th on Thursday.

The Eastern Michigan University track & field program concluded its memorable season in the women's high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships today, June 12. Representing the Eagles inside Hayward Field was three-time Mid-American Conference champion senior Quintella Johnson (Las Vegas, Nev.-Saint Mary's (Texas Southern)) who proved why she belonged in Eugene, Ore.

The Nevada native did not clear 1.73m on her first attempt but bounced back in a big way. After clearing the mark on her second try, she went on to smoothly ace 1.78m on her first attempt at the height. Prior to the NCAA East Preliminary Championships, May 28, Johnson's personal-best at Eastern Michigan had been 1.78m. At 1.81m, the senior had three solid tries but ultimately could not overcome the height. Johnson finished tied for 16th overall in the competition, earning her Second Team All-American honors as she became the first member of the women's team to do so in the event.