MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Redshirt freshman Ceili McCabe of the West Virginia University track and field team advanced to the NCAA Championships after placing third (9:46.73) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase quarterfinals at the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Regional Championship. The event took place from May 25-28, at Robert C. Haugh Complex - Outdoor Track and Field in Bloomington, Indiana.
 
McCabe was joined by six additional Mountaineers. Redshirt senior Hayley Jackson (1,500 meters), sophomores Jo-Lauren Keane and Cassandra Williamson (800 meters), McCabe, senior Katherine Dowie and fifth-year senior Sylvia Russell (3,000-meter steeplechase), as well as senior Tessa Constantine (400-meter hurdles) all ranked in the top 48 of the NCAA East Region in their respective events.
 
Russell and Dowie followed McCabe in Saturday's steeplechase quarterfinals placing 14th (10:05.68) and 30th (10:27.03), respectively. Russell closed out her Mountaineer career with a personal-best mark.
 
"The combination of Ceili, Sylvia and Katherine made the most competitive trio at the NCAA Championships," said coach Sean Cleary. "Three All-Big 12 performers who came here and ran as such. Ceili looked very good while winning her quarterfinal. We came in looking for a clean run into Eugene and got just that. Sylvia ran the track race of her life and just missed out by the smallest of margins in the steeple. This performance was bittersweet. She could taste the finals, but she still ran a huge personal-best time."
 
Thursday's action began with Jackson in the 1,500-meter, where she placed 24th in a time of 4:18.29 to advance to Saturday's quarterfinals. Jackson ran her second best race of the season finishing in 21st place in a time of 4:22.97
 
She was followed by Williamson and Keane in the 800-meter. Williamson advanced to the quarterfinals after finishing in a time of 2:05.50. In the quarterfinals, Williamson placed 16th with a program-record time of 2:04.84
 
"Cassandra was so impressive in the 800-meter," Cleary said. "Over the past three months, we have watched Jo break the indoor school record and Cassandra the outdoor record for 800-meter. They have been fantastic training partners for each other and will continue to push each other throughout the next three to four years of their careers."
 
Keane finished in 34th place in the preliminary round in a time of 2:07.37.
 
"Jo has had a very special year," Cleary said. "Looking back to the beginning of the winter, we saw Jo run in nationally ranked relays, broke two school records, made two Big 12 finals, in addition to qualifying for the Regional Championship. While this was not the way Jo and I wanted her NCAA season to end, we both know that she will be back stronger and faster than ever next year."
 
To close out Thursday's action, Constantine participated in the 400-meter hurdle competition. 
 
"Tessa was running an exceptionally fast race before clipping a hurdle halfway through the race," Cleary said. "While this was a gut-wrenching moment in Tessa's athletic career, it also will be an incredible source of motivation for her to build upon once she kicks up training for her senior year. Tessa should be happy with the advancements that she made these past few months but also has three to four big goals that she wants to check off over the next 12 months."
 
McCabe entered the event ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 2 nationally in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a season-best top time of 9:32.14 at the Mountaineer Twilight, on April 30, in Morgantown, West Virginia. 
 
Dowie ranked third in the Big 12 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The Carisbrook, Victoria, Australia native qualified for this year's regional meet after recording a personal-best time of 10:13.68 at the Mountaineer Showcase, in Morgantown, West Virginia, on April 22.
 
Russell ranked fifth in the Big 12 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a season-best time of 10:21.25 at the WVU Last Chance in Morgantown, West Virginia, on May 7. 
 
Next, Keane ranked eighth in the 800-meter in the Big 12. The Corofin, Co. Clare, Ireland native qualified for this year's regional meet after recording a time of 2:05.67 at the Big 12 Championship in Lubbock, Texas. 
 
Williamson entered the event ranked No. 10 in the Big 12 in the 800-meter with a time of 2:05.84 at the Big 12 Championship in Lubbock, Texas. Williamson earned All-Big 12 honors at the conference meet.
 
Jackson ran a season-best time of 4:19.88 in the 1,500 meters at the Big 12 Championship in Lubbock, Texas. Jackson earned All-Big 12 honors and enters the meet ranked eighth in the conference.
 
Additionally, Constantine tallied a career-best time of 59.31 in the 400-meter hurdle at the Mountaineer Twilight on April 30. The time ranked No. 8 in the Big 12, entering the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
 
For each individual event contested at each of the preliminary sites, the top-48 declared student-athletes were accepted into the competition. The top-24 declared relay teams for each relay event were accepted into the competition. 
 
Qualifiers out of the East and West Regions who place in the top 12 in their events will advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 8-11.
 
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