Ball State University Athletics
Wednesday, May 27
Lexington, Ky.
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NCAA First Round
Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics
Cardinals Race Into NCAA East Regional in Lexington
May 28, 2026 | Track & Field
LEXINGTON, Ky.— With five NCAA regional qualifiers for the first time since 2007, Ball State Track & Field got its East Regional First Round off to a racing start Thursday evening with competitors in the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles, at the University of Kentucky Track & Field Complex.
Sophomore Laya'Lapri Ratney was the first Cardinal to leave the starting blocks, beginning the evening in the 100-meter hurdles. The transfer from Abilene Christian entered her first-ever NCAA regional appearance as the 42nd-ranked runner in the event. Ratney surpassed that seeding by nearly 10 spots, posting a time of 13.42 seconds (fourth fastest in Ball State history) en route to a 33rd-place finish.
Next was senior Kenli Nettles in the 400-meter hurdles. The Illinois native came into the regional meet as the 43rd seed for the event, and, in similar fashion to Ratney, Nettles exceeded her ranking and placed 35th overall with a time of 59.35 seconds. Her 400-meter hurdle time clocked as the eighth-fastest in school history.
For both athletes, their finishes fell short of advancing to the NCAA quarterfinal round on Saturday. Ratney's standout first season as a Cardinal came to a close, but not before posting the second, third and fourth-fastest times in Ball State history in the 100m hurdles.
While Nettles did not advance in the 400-meter hurdles, her season continues in the heptathlon at the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships, June 10-13 in Eugene, Oregon.
Regional competition in Lexington continues for the Cardinals on Saturday. Junior Malina Miller and freshman Nina Garner compete in the high jump at 2 p.m. Miller and Garner enter as the 25th and 32nd seeds respectively. The top 12 performers of the first round of 48 advance directly to the finals at the NCAA national championships.
Sophomore Laya'Lapri Ratney was the first Cardinal to leave the starting blocks, beginning the evening in the 100-meter hurdles. The transfer from Abilene Christian entered her first-ever NCAA regional appearance as the 42nd-ranked runner in the event. Ratney surpassed that seeding by nearly 10 spots, posting a time of 13.42 seconds (fourth fastest in Ball State history) en route to a 33rd-place finish.
Next was senior Kenli Nettles in the 400-meter hurdles. The Illinois native came into the regional meet as the 43rd seed for the event, and, in similar fashion to Ratney, Nettles exceeded her ranking and placed 35th overall with a time of 59.35 seconds. Her 400-meter hurdle time clocked as the eighth-fastest in school history.
For both athletes, their finishes fell short of advancing to the NCAA quarterfinal round on Saturday. Ratney's standout first season as a Cardinal came to a close, but not before posting the second, third and fourth-fastest times in Ball State history in the 100m hurdles.
While Nettles did not advance in the 400-meter hurdles, her season continues in the heptathlon at the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships, June 10-13 in Eugene, Oregon.
Regional competition in Lexington continues for the Cardinals on Saturday. Junior Malina Miller and freshman Nina Garner compete in the high jump at 2 p.m. Miller and Garner enter as the 25th and 32nd seeds respectively. The top 12 performers of the first round of 48 advance directly to the finals at the NCAA national championships.
Players Mentioned
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