Women's Track & Field | June 07, 2018

EUGENE, Ore. – Western Michigan track and field's Gabrielle Collins saw her season come to an end as she fell shy in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon on Thursday evening.

Collins fouled on her first attempt and followed it up with a jump of 17' 8.75" (5.40 meters). She improved greatly on her third jump, reaching a distance of 19' 3.50" but ultimately fell short of the top 14 for All-American and the top nine to advance to the finals.

"The wind made hitting the board a little tricky for her," said head coach Kelly Lycan. "A lot of jumpers were struggling to find the board early on."

Collins wraps up her sophomore season as just the third Bronco in program history to win a Mid-American Conference title in the outdoor long jump and sits second all-time on the performance list for the outdoor long jump.

"I'm very proud of the way she competed," Lycan added. "Trying to become an elite athlete is a step-by-step process and she took some big steps this year. Last year she just wanted to make it to the MAC and she did. This year she wanted to be one of the best in the MAC. Next was regionals and to qualify for the NCAA Championships. She's making those steps in the right direction. The good thing is she's still got two more years, the best part of her career is yet to come. She gained some valuable experience at the highest level."