University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
NCAA West Regionals
Three Individuals, Two Relays Qualify for NCAAs on Final Day of Regionals
May 30, 2026 | Track & Field
Day 2 Recap
Day 3 Recap
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. โ Three individuals and two relay squads clinched spots in the 2026 NCAA Championships as the UCLA women, and the team as a whole, concluded action at the NCAA West First Rounds at Arkansas's John McDonnell Field on Saturday.
The three Bruins to advance included Valentina Fakrogha (high jump), Celeste Polzonetti (100m hurdles), and Taylor Snaer (200m dash). UCLA also had NCAA-qualifying groups in the women's 4x100 and 4x400 relays. All three individual qualifiers will be returning to Hayward Field after making their Outdoor NCAAs debut in 2025.
Those NCAA qualifiers will join the trio of Bruin men who qualified earlier in the weekend: Xaver Hastenrath (shot put), Gabriel Clement II (400m dash), and Tamaal Myers II (400m hurdles).
In all, UCLA totaled six individual qualifiers and two qualifying relays for the 2026 NCAAs hosted by Oregon in Eugene, Ore.
Fakrogha was the first Bruin to punch her ticket on Saturday, finishing with a max clearance of 1.87m (6-1.5) to place seventh overall. She missed on just one attempt during her entire outing โ her first attempt at 1.87m โ as the field all concluded competition once the 12 qualifiers were locked in.
A couple hours later the quartet of Kayla McBride, Naomi Johnson, Madison Fleming, and Snaer combined to run the 4x100 relay in 43.71. That time was good for eighth place overall and an NCAA-clinching top-12 spot. The Bruins had the fastest time of all non-auto-qualifying schools.
Polzonetti capped off an impressive weekend with a strong showing in the 100m hurdles quarterfinals. Her time of 12.79 won the third and final heat, and put her in third place overall among all entrants. It also one-upped her PB, set during the first round on Thursday, and moved her into a tie for No. 4 in UCLA history.
Snaer secured the Bruins' final individual qualification during the 200m, winning an auto-bid after placing third in her heat and seventh overall with a time of 22.64. It represented her fastest wind-legal time in that event this season.
After a lightning delay just before their heat was set to begin, the Bruins' 4x400 relay of Ava Simms, McBride, Gabriella Taylor, and Johnson proceeded to post a season-best time of 3:30.82 to finish 11th overall and secure an NCAAs spot.
Other Bruins who competed on Saturday but did not advance included Hannah Slover (high jump), Evie Marheineke (3000m steeplechase), Ailish Hawkins (3000m steeplechase), Mackenzie Kirk (triple jump), and Kapiolani Coleman (400m hurdles).
The advancing Bruins will compete at the 2026 NCAA Championships from June 10-13 in Eugene.
