Women's Track & Field | 6/12/2026 3:55:41 PM

EUGENE, Ore. – Howard junior sprinter Yahnari Lyons and sophomore hurdler Cenaiya Billups punched their tickets to Saturday's finals with standout performances Thursday evening at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore.

Lyons highlighted the evening by winning her 200-meter dash heat with an automatic-qualifying time of 22.36. Billups secured her spot in the 400-meter hurdles final after posting a time of 55.44, the fastest non-automatic qualifying mark and fourth-fastest overall.

Of note, senior Aniya Woodruff also competed in the 400-meter hurdles where she came up just short of advancing (56.30), finishing her collegiate career with back-to-back Second Team All-America honors. 

Howard’s 4x100-meter relay team of Lyons, graduate student Marcia Sey, junior Mackenzie Robinson and freshman Nilijah Darden posted a time of 43.66, falling just short of a spot in the final, while earning Second Team All-America accolades.

Saturday’s Schedule

• Women’s 400-meter Hurdles (Billups)
  • Watch: ESPN2
  • Time: 9:27 p.m. (ET).
• Women’s 200-meter Dash (Lyons)
  • Watch: ESPN2
  • Time: 9:37 p.m. (ET).

 
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) enters its 56th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2026–27 academic year. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, the MEAC is comprised of eight distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) along the Atlantic seaboard: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University, and South Carolina State University. Since its founding in 1970, the MEAC has been dedicated to promoting academic excellence, sportsmanship, and the personal growth of student athletes. For more information, visit www.MEACSports.com.