East Regionals Schedule 
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — South Carolina State University will be represented by two student-athletes this week at the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East First Round, scheduled for May 27-30 at University of Kentucky Outdoor Track & Field Facility.

Recent graduate Christian Washington of Jacksonville, Florida, and freshman Sanaii Gaines of Daytona Beach, Florida, each earned spots in the long jump and will compete against some of the nation's top athletes for a chance to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Washington qualified for the men's long jump after posting a leap of 7.52 meters (24 feet, 8 inches) during the outdoor season. The Jacksonville native captured the long jump title at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships earlier this year and now gets the opportunity to extend his standout collegiate career on the national stage.

Gaines enters regional competition after an impressive freshman campaign. The Daytona Beach native won the women's long jump at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships while setting a new championship record with a leap of 6.34 meters (20 feet, 9.50 inches).

"I am extremely excited for our two athletes representing us at NCAA East Regionals," said SC State head coach Donald Cooper. "I am very impressed with our second-year jumps coach, Savionna Glover. She is establishing herself as one of the best jumps coaches in the conference and nation. Our jumpers and multi athletes are thriving under her tutelage."

The NCAA East Regionals feature Division I programs from the eastern half of the country, stretching from Louisiana to the East Coast. Gaines and Washington will compete among the top 48 long jumpers in their respective events, with the top 12 finishers advancing to the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field.

At the national championships, East Region qualifiers will face the top 12 competitors from the West Region for All-America honors and a chance to compete for an NCAA title.

ABOUT SC STATE ATHLETICS 
South Carolina State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 16 sports: women's golf2, women's bowling, women's volleyball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track & field, softball, men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's soccer and football with all teams competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), except for women's soccer. 
  
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