LEXINGTON, Ky. — Day two of the NCAA East First Round Outdoor Track & Field Championships featured a standout performance from graduate student Kennedy Drish on Thursday, May 28, as she secured a berth to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Drish has enjoyed a breakout season in 2026, capturing both the Atlantic 10 Indoor and Outdoor women's pole vault titles while setting school records indoors (4.34m) and outdoors (4.33m).

This marked Drish's second appearance at the NCAA East First Round. She previously qualified in 2024 while competing for Virginia Tech, where she finished 28th overall. Entering this year's regional competition, Drish was ranked 12th in the East Region with a seed mark of 4.33m.

After missing her first attempt at the opening height of 3.92m, Drish responded by clearing the bar on her second try. She then cleared 4.07m, 4.22m, and 4.27m on her first attempts to finish fourth overall.

With the top 12 finishers advancing, Drish officially punched her ticket to the NCAA National Championships in Eugene for the first time in her career.

The Patriots continue competition in Lexington on Friday, May 29, with the following schedule:

2 p.m. — Kellen La Roche — Men's High Jump (Flight 2)
5:40 p.m. — Alex DeRoussel — Men's 3000m Steeplechase (Heat 3)
6:15 p.m. — Davian Burke — Men's 110m Hurdles Quarterfinals (Heat 2)

Coverage begins on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. ET, with live results available online.