Thomas motivated to improve on last year’s eighth-place finish against loaded finals field that includes Irby, McLaughlin

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Gabby Thomas’ performance in the 200-meter prelims might have been overshadowed by all of the distance and field event finals Friday at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships, but the significance wasn’t lost on the Harvard junior sprinter.

Thomas equaled the world-leading time by clocking 22.66 seconds in the first heat. Georgia freshman Lynna Irby, who ran 22.66 to win the Southeastern Conference title Feb. 24, duplicated that time Friday in the third heat to edge Kentucky freshman Sydney McLaughlin (22.68).

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“That felt pretty good, especially after my 60 (7.26). I had to get my head right and get disciplined. Now I have to try and do it again (Saturday),” said Thomas, whose time was officially 22.653 to Irby’s 22.660.

“It shows promise. It took me all season, but I think we’re getting there mentally.”

Thomas placed eighth in 23.35 last year. Despite rebounding to place third in the Division 1 outdoor 200 final in 22.61, she has been waiting for an opportunity for redemption in the indoor championship.

“There’s a lot of motivation. Last year was not at all what I wanted to do,” Thomas said. “I didn’t run my race, so this year I came back with a new mindset. I’m trying to run my race. I’m trying to actually get better than eighth. I’m trying to win.”

Thomas and Irby will square off in the second section, with McLaughlin and San Diego State’s Ashley Henderson (22.80) in the opening section, as six of the eight women in the championship have run under 23 seconds.

“It’s amazing to be able to run against such amazing, talented women,” Thomas said. “If we all go out there and run our best races, it should be really good.”

One benefit for Thomas might be that six of her competitors in the 200 final are either running the 60, 400 or 60 hurdles earlier Saturday.

LSU’s Kortnei Johnson and Henderson are in the 60, Kentucky’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn is in the 60 hurdles, with Irby, McLaughlin and USC’s Kendall Ellis in the 400 championship.

Houston’s Elijah Hall and Texas Tech’s Divine Oduduru qualified for both the men’s 60 and 200 finals.

Hall ran 6.56 and 20.26 to put himself in position to possibly duplicate the 60 and 200 sweep achieved last year by Christian Coleman at Tennessee.

The top qualifiers in the other men’s prelims were: USC’s Michael Norman (45.56) in the 400, Indiana’s Daniel Kuhn (1:47.48) in the 800, New Mexico’s Josh Kerr (4:02.03) in the mile and Florida’s Grant Holloway (7.58) in the 60 hurdles.

LSU’s Aleia Hobbs led all qualifiers in the women’s 60 in 7.12, with McLaughlin clocking 51.34 in the 400.

Texas A&M’s Sammy Watson and Villanova’s Siofra Cleirigh-Buttner both clocked 2:03.55 in the 800, with Mississippi State’s Rhianwedd Price-Weimer running 4:37.71 in the mile and Arkansas’ Payton Stumbaugh Chadwick leading all 60 hurdles qualifiers in 7.93.