MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – An hour before Gallaudet University first-year sprinter
Oceana Brown (Miami, Fla.) debuted on the national stage, she warmed up and prepared for the 200-meter dash like any other event. Except this wasn't just any other event.
Brown was prepping to race in her first NCAA Division III national championship event and the nervous energy was evident, but Brown was locked in and ready to put her best foot forward on a hot and sticky Thursday evening at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium.
Brown raced in the third and final heat of the women's 200-meter dash preliminaries at the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships. This turned into the fastest heat of three as half of Saturday's final participants come from this heat.
Gallaudet coach
Byron Moore sat down near Brown, who is deaf, to sign the start commands. Brown broke out of the blocks in the third lane and took off around the curve and accelerated down the home stretch towards the finish line.
Brown crossed the line with a new Gallaudet school record time of 24.22 seconds. She was the fourth finisher in the heat. Lauren Jarrett from Wisconsin-La Crosse won the heat in 23.82 seconds and was followed by North Carolina Wesleyan's Kamiyah Wooten (23.93) and Rochester Institute of Technology's Sadie Schreiner (24.11).
Brown finished eighth overall to make the cut to advance to Saturday's final.
Nebraska Wesleyan senior Isabella Hogue posted the fastest time of 23.76 seconds in the second heat. Mount Union junior Kenadee Wayt won the first heat in 24.12 seconds to automatically advance to Saturday's final.
The finals are comprised of the three heat winners and the next five fastest times.
Brown will make history on Saturday, if she finishes the race, and will become Gallaudet's first first-year track and field athlete to earn All-American honors.
Brown's time on Thursday of 24.22 improves on her previous school record time of 24.32 set on May 13 at the Widener University Final Qualifier.
UP NEXT
Brown will race in women's 200-meter dash finals this Saturday, May 25, at 6:40 p.m.
Gallaudet senior jumper
Hannah Wetzel (Fremont, Calif.) will make her NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championship debut tomorrow (Friday, May 24) at 1:30 p.m. in the high jump.
