Jemeli, Mevo Punch Final Tickets For State

Saturday, May 30

Lexington, Ky.

Mississippi State

NCAA East First Round (O)

Jemeli, Mevo Punch Final Tickets For State

May 30, 2026 | Track & Field

By: Jhordyn Stallworth, Assistant Director/Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mississippi State track and field concluded the NCAA East First Rounds, with two more athletes earning qualification berths to the national championships in June.

"The athletes did well throughout the weekend," said head coach Chris Woods. "We're excited for the ones that will advance to the national championships in a few weeks. The job is not done, so we're headed back to Starkville focused on productive training before we set out for Oregon."

The final day of the meet featured the women's events, where two Bulldogs earned qualifications to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Nelly Jemeli was the first athlete to compete for State on day four, racing in the 3000m steeplechase. Her time of 10:04.72 earned her an automatic qualifying spot to compete in Eugene for the second consecutive season.

Manie Mevo earned her first qualification to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the triple jump. Her first round jump of 13.22m was far enough to secure 10th place, punching her ticket to Eugene.

Ife Adisa improved on her 800m Nigerian national record and program freshman record in the quarterfinal round. Her time of 2:01.54 is a new personal best and improves on the No. 2 spot on the MSU all-time list. Adisa finished 13th in the field, just milliseconds shy of qualifying for nationals.

Overall, MSU will send seven men, three women and two men's relays to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The full qualification list is below.

NCAA Outdoor Championships Qualifiers
Men
Sam Navarro – 800m
Harry Ross-Hughes – 800m
Juha Närhi – Hammer Throw
Tuomas Närhi – Javelin
Kaden Cartwright – Javelin
Kevin Grubbs – Discus
Khalil Antoine – High Jump, Triple Jump
Nicholas Fakorede, Kibren Moore, Gabriel Scott, Sherman Hawkins Jr. – 4x100m Relay
Keayari Lee, Malachi Burton, Harry Ross-Hughes, Sherman Hawkins Jr. – 4x400m Relay
Women
Nelly Jemeli – 3000m Steeplechase
Marie Rougetet – Hammer Throw
Manie Mevo – Triple Jump

For more information on the Mississippi State track and field program, visit HailState.com and follow "HailStateTF" on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.