Indianapolis, Ind. – Duquesne University first-year javelin standouts
Mary Grusky and
Makayla Keck have qualified for the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships East Regional and will compete Thursday, May 28 at 1 p.m. in Lexington, Kentucky.
MEET INFO / LIVE COVERAGE
The duo, which traded the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on Duquesne's all-time javelin leaderboard throughout the season, become the program's first NCAA qualifiers in the event since 2016 and just the third and fourth javelin qualifiers in school history. Grusky and Keck are also the first Duquesne freshmen to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships since Melissa Stewart (discus) in 2003.
Grusky owns the Duquesne program record with a throw of 51.75 meters (169-9), set in a first-place finish at the George Mason Invite. The Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, product captured silver at the ECAC Outdoor Championships with a mark of 47.28m (155-1) and bronze at the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championships at 46.64m (153-0). Her program-record throw ranks 14th in the NCAA East Region and 34th nationally this season. Like Keck, Grusky broke the previous school record in her first collegiate throw, recording a distance of 47.08m (154-5) at the Charlotte season opener.
Keck, a native of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, burst onto the scene with a then-program-record throw of 49.41m (162-1) to win the Charlotte 49er Classic in her first collegiate attempt and outdoor meet. She improved her personal best in each of the next two competitions, surpassing 50 meters with a throw of 51.09m (167-7) to finish second at George Mason before winning ECAC gold with a mark of 51.22m (168-0). Her 51.22m throw ranks second in program history behind Grusky and stands 18th in the NCAA East Region and 40th nationally entering postseason competition. Keck earned a silver medal at the Atlantic 10 Championships with a throw of 48.94m (160-7) and has finished in the top two in all four meets this season.
NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS / EAST REGIONAL INFORMATION
The NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships — East Regional will be held at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track & Field Complex in Lexington, Ky. Women's javelin is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 28. The top 12 finishers from each regional advance to the national championship meet.
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