Simpson, Merryman Advance To Finals At USATF U20 Championships
June 18, 2026 | Track & Field
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State's De'Kayla Simpson and Camryn Merryman were both automatic qualifiers at the USATF U20 Championships on Thursday.
Simpson clocked a 52.88 to place second in her 400m heat. She was the sixth-fastest qualifier overall. The Dallas, Texas, native holds MSU's freshman record in the 400m as well as running on the program's record outdoor 4x400m relay alongside Merryman.
Merryman finished the 800m prelims in 2:06.88, which was good for third in the first heat to automatically advance to Friday. Merryman's time was also the third-fastest across both heats.
State's rising sophomores will now race in their respective events' finals on Friday. Simpson's 400m final is scheduled to run at 5:38 p.m. CT while Merryman will toe the line at 6:50 p.m.
The Bulldog pair will be joined by Jayden Thrower in the men's triple jump on Friday, scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. Thrower holds MSU's freshman record in the event and reached the NCAA East Prelims this spring.
The top two finishes in each event will qualify to compete for Team USA at the U20 World Athletics Championships held in Eugene in August. A top-four finish for Simpson would also earn her a place in the Americans' 4x400m relay pool.
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Simpson clocked a 52.88 to place second in her 400m heat. She was the sixth-fastest qualifier overall. The Dallas, Texas, native holds MSU's freshman record in the 400m as well as running on the program's record outdoor 4x400m relay alongside Merryman.
Merryman finished the 800m prelims in 2:06.88, which was good for third in the first heat to automatically advance to Friday. Merryman's time was also the third-fastest across both heats.
State's rising sophomores will now race in their respective events' finals on Friday. Simpson's 400m final is scheduled to run at 5:38 p.m. CT while Merryman will toe the line at 6:50 p.m.
The Bulldog pair will be joined by Jayden Thrower in the men's triple jump on Friday, scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. Thrower holds MSU's freshman record in the event and reached the NCAA East Prelims this spring.
The top two finishes in each event will qualify to compete for Team USA at the U20 World Athletics Championships held in Eugene in August. A top-four finish for Simpson would also earn her a place in the Americans' 4x400m relay pool.
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Players Mentioned
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Jumps
/ Track & FieldThursday, May 30
Thursday, May 30
Friday, February 24
Thursday, March 31