SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sophomore Taylor Kesner booked her ticket to Austin, Texas and the 2023 NCAA Championships in the discus, finishing 10th overall as the Illinois State track & field team wrapped up competition Saturday at the 2023 NCAA West Preliminary Round.
On her third and final attempt of the afternoon in flight two, the sophomore threw a new personal best mark of 54.35m (178-3), finishing second in the flight and top-10 among the field of 48.
Kesner becomes the first Redbird to qualify for NCAA Championships in the women's discus since Sydney Laufenberg did so in 2021.
Meanwhile, for Byer, it was a mark of 48.22m (158-2) to place her 38th overall, which wraps up the 2023 outdoor season for the junior.
The women's 4x100m relay squad of Hassy Fashina-Bombata, Madison Saunders, Lindsey Miller, and Arianna Walker would get the night started for ISU on the track as the quartet looked to claim a spot in Austin.
With an 18th place overall finish, the relay squad ran to a time of 44.27, eclipsing their own previous all-time program mark (44.65) by 0.38 seconds.
To conclude the night, it was the women's 3000m steeplechase where Illinois State saw a pair of Redbirds in Mattison Plummer and Claire Fuhlhage in action. Plummer would be first in action as she competed in heat one, turning in a time of 10:19.55, finishing 28th overall. Then, it was Fuhlhage's turn as the senior was able to clock a time of 10:16.33 in heat three to finish 24th overall.
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Mye'Joi Williams and Taylor Kesner will represent Illinois State at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, held in Austin, Texas at Mike A. Meyers Field from June 7-10.
Williams will compete in the shot put on Thursday, June 8 at 9:30 p.m. CT. Kesner will be in action for the discus on Saturday, June 10 at 7:35 p.m. CT.
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