There can be flashes of sunlight even on cloudy days.
For UCLA track and field, one performance outshone the rest – a new indoor best in the women’s 60-meter hurdles.
A select few qualifying Bruins competed in the Indoor NCAA Championships on Friday and Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Graduate student sprinter/hurdler Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck headlined the meet for the Bruins, who had competitors in three other individual events and one women’s relay.
After a qualifying mark of 7.96 in the preliminary women’s 60-meter hurdles Friday, Ndjip-Nyemeck was tied for the No. 1 spot entering the finals the next day. She edged out seven athletes in a field of eight to cross the finish line in second, with a personal best and school record time of 7.92. Oregon sprinter/hurdler Aaliyah McCormick finished in first with a 7.86-second mark.
“It was my last race, so I tried to change a little bit how I would approach it,” Ndjip-Nyemeck said. “I really tried to be in the moment, to trust myself, trust my training and trust God. That helped a lot because I just got there really at peace with whatever outcome.”
UCLA Athletics did not provide interview availability for any other athletes or coaches.
The result marked the 2023 and 2025 First Team Indoor All-American’s first career NCAA medal. Ndjip-Nyemeck is the first Bruin woman to medal at the Indoor NCAA Championships since sprinter/jumper Jessie Maduka placed third in the triple jump in 2018.
UCLA’s two other individual qualifiers struggled to match Ndjip-Nyemeck’s success.
Senior thrower Michael Pinckney competed in the men’s weight throw, earning a 20.80-meter mark, which was good for 15th in a field of 16.
Sophomore jumper Valentina Fakrogha competed in the women’s high jump, notching a 1.80-meter mark to earn 11th place out of 16 competitors.
And the Bruin relay also faced adversity last weekend.
After a 3:29.44 finish for the squad that consisted of sprinters juniors Ava Simms and Taylor Snaer along with sophomore Kayla McBride and senior Naomi Johnson, it appeared that the team had a strong performance, as they ostensibly placed sixth. However, the meet officials later ruled that the Bruin group impeded another relay, which disqualified the squad.
With the conclusion to the indoor track and field season, the team shifts its focus to outdoor, where they will compete at Drake Stadium in the opening home meets of the 2026 campaign. The Bruins will host both the Bob Larsen Distance Carnival on March 27 and the Jim Bush Legends Meet on March 28.
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