MONROE, La. – Sophomore jumpers
Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi and
Ali Eren Unlu are set to compete at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships Friday and Saturday at Mike A. Meyers Stadium in Austin, Texas.
Unlu will compete in the men's high jump at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Istanbul, Turkey, native enters his first outdoor national championship ranked sixth in the men's high jump in NCAA Division I, clearing a personal record of 7-3.75 (2.23 meters) at the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships on May 13. He recorded a mark of 6-10.25 (2.09 meters) at the NCAA East Preliminaries in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 26 to qualify for nationals.
Unlu was a First-Team All-SBC Men's Outdoor Track & Field selection and the SBC Men's Field Performer of the Year. In addition to his conference championship, he won the Mt. SAC Relays at Mt. San Antonio College by clearing 7-2.5 (2.20 meters) on April 14. He also took third at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays by topping 7-1.5 (2.17 meters). He is looking to pick up the second overall All-American recognition of his career and his first outdoor track All-American honor after finishing as an All-American in the high jump at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in March.
Mbuyi is one of the final competitors of the championships, competing in the women's triple jump at 8:10 p.m. Saturday. The Olivet, France, native enters her first outdoor national championship ranked 11th in the triple jump in NCAA Division I with a distance of 44-7.5 (13.60 meters), set at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.
Mbuyi was a First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection for the second consecutive season after she defended both her long jump and triple jump championships at the SBC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She won the long jump at 19-11 (6.07 meters) and the triple jump at 42-11.5 (13.09 meters). Mbuyi won seven events during the outdoor season. She won the triple jump title at the Maroon and White Invite (20-1.75, 6.14 meters), the Bobcat Invitational (44-4, 13.51 meters), the LSU Battle On The Bayou (43-3, 13.18 meters) and the Louisiana Classic (41-3.75, 12.59 meters) in addition to two long jump titles.
Links to live results as well as ESPN+ links for both events are available on the track & field schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
