Chinenye Onuorah and Nora Haugen Prepare for NCAA East Regional

Wednesday, May 22

Lexington, Ky.

St. John's University

NCAA Regional Championships

Chinenye Onuorah and Nora Haugen Prepare for NCAA East Regional

5/21/2024 11:09:00 AM | Women's Track and Field

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Onuorah to race in 400-meter dash, Haugen will participate in 800-meter run in Lexington

QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John's track & field athletes Chinenye Onuorah and Nora Haugen are set to compete against the nation's best at the NCAA East Regional at Kentucky. Both student-athletes will race in the preliminary rounds on Thursday at the UK Track & Field Complex in Lexington, Ky.

After impressive performances at the BIG EAST Outdoor Track & Field Championship, Onuorah is set to partake in the 400-meter dash while Haugen is slated to race in the 800-meter run.

The 400 meters will kick off at 7:25 p.m. followed by the 800 meters at 7:50 p.m. on Thursday. If they advance, Onuorah and Haugen will move on to the regional final rounds in their respective events on Saturday afternoon. The entirety of the meet will be streamed on ESPN+.

Onuorah put together an impressive junior season in Queens, grabbing gold medals in both the indoor and outdoor 400-meter at the BIG EAST Championships. Two weeks ago at the BIG EAST Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the Thailand native qualified for the NCAA Regional by posting a mark of 53.35 seconds in the 400 meters.

The junior will be the first member of the Red Storm to compete in the 400-meter run at the event since Leah Anderson in 2022.

The talented sprinter showed out in multiple events at the outdoor league championships. In addition to her first-place finish in the 400-meter run, she also took home a silver medal in the 4x400-meter relay and a bronze medal in the 200-meter dash.

Haugen will head to the meet after posting a school record qualifying time of 2:04.77 in the 800-meter run at the conference championships, finishing in second. Her appearance in the NCAA Regionals marks the Red Storm's first in the 800 meters since Claire Mooney in 2016.

The sophomore's record-breaking performance in the outdoor league championships was the third of her 2024 campaign. The talented middle-distance runner set new program bests in the indoor 800-meter and the sprint medley relay throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons.

The top-12 finishers in each event will punch their ticket into the NCAA Track & Field Championships. The finals will be held in Eugene, Ore., at historic Hayward Field from June 5-8.