EUGENE, Ore. – Vanderbilt track and field student-athlete Allyria McBride placed eighth in the 400-meter hurdles and earned first-team All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships Saturday evening at Hayward Field.
“Coming to this championship and having Allyria become a first-team All-American in her third year in the program and second time at this meet means a lot,” director of cross country and track and field Althea Thomas said. “It’s showing the growth of the program.”
After finishing second in her semifinal heat Thursday, McBride returned to the track to clock 56.20 seconds in Saturday’s final. With her eighth-place finish, she scored a point for Vanderbilt, which is tied for 63rd in the team standings.
It is McBride’s first time earning first-team honors but her second career All-America nod. In 2023, she became the program’s first true freshman All-American since 1997 (Amanda Helberg) when she was a second-team selection in the 400 hurdles.
Under Thomas’ direction, the Commodores have boasted eight first-team All-Americans and scored at four consecutive NCAA Indoor or Outdoor Championships, which is the longest streak in school history.
“It shows consistency,” Thomas said. “In our sport, everyone thinks about who’s the fastest, who can jump the highest or throw the farthest, but our sport is really about consistency. It’s showing, not just consistency in one person, but consistency in the program. It’s showing what we’re building.”
The track and field team’s season continues in Eugene when Lily Kriegel and Devyn Parham represent the Dores at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships Thursday and Friday.
