Simpson, Merryman Advance to Finals at USATF U20 Championships

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State’s De’Kayla Simpson and Camryn Merryman qualified for the finals at the USATF U20 Championships on Thursday, both earning automatic bids in their respective events.

Simpson, a freshman from Dallas, Texas, finished the 400-meter preliminaries in 52.88 seconds, placing second in her heat and sixth overall. She holds MSU’s freshman record in the 400 meters and is part of the school’s record outdoor 4×400-meter relay team with Merryman, according to university officials.

Merryman, a rising sophomore, clocked 2:06.88 in the 800 meters, finishing third in her heat and third overall across both heats. Her performance secured her a spot in Friday’s final, scheduled for 6:50 p.m. Central Time. Simpson’s final is set for 5:38 p.m. CT.

The pair will be joined by Jayden Thrower in the men’s triple jump, which begins at 3:30 p.m. Thrower, also a freshman, set the MSU record in the event and competed in the NCAA East Prelims this spring, according to the university.

Top finishers in each event will qualify for Team USA at the U20 World Athletics Championships in Eugene this August. A top-two finish for Simpson would also earn her a spot in the U.S. 4×400-meter relay pool, officials said.

MSU’s athletes are competing in a meet that continues Friday, with finals in multiple events. The championships serve as a key qualifying event for the upcoming world U20 championships.

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