EUGENE, Ore. -- San Diego State junior Shaquena Foote came up 0.06 seconds short of qualifying for the 400-meter final on the first day of the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships Thursday at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Foote ran a time of 51.40 seconds in Thursday’s semifinals, which was fifth in her heat and 11th overall out of 24 qualifiers. Florida State’s Kaelyaah Liburd nabbed the final qualifying spot after running a 51.35 in the first of three heats.
Running in the second heat, LSU’s Ella Onojuvwevwo (50.31) and Arkansas’ Kaylyn Brown (50.91) finished first and second, respectively, and automatically advanced to Saturday’s final. Auburn’s Vimbayi Maisvorewa also moved on from the second heat with a time of 50.19, one of the three next-fastest times besides the automatic qualifiers. Foote tied South Carolina’s Zaya Akins but was edged out for 10th by 0.006 thousandths (51.393 to 51.399).
Foote qualified for today’s semifinal after taking second in the first of three heats in the NCAA West Quarterfinals in College Station, Texas, on May 31 with a time of 51.38 seconds. Foote ran a school and Mountain West record time of 50.95 in the first round on Thursday, May 29. The 50.95 was the 12th-fastest time in the country entering the championships.
This was Foote’s second appearance at an NCAA Outdoor Championship. In 2024, Foote ran a 52.10 in the semifinals for the 17th-fastest time and failed to advance to the finals. Foote also came in 14th overall at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships in 52.58, not advancing to the final in the event.
Foote is just the second Aztec in school history to compete in multiple 400s at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, joining Nicole Stone, who was 22nd in 2007 in 53.99 and 23rd in 2009 in 54.61.
Foote was SDSU’s lone qualifier in the NCAA Championships and its season is now over.
2025 NCAA Championships (Semifinals)
Day 1 of 2 (June 12, 2025)
Hayward Field - Eugene, Ore.
No Team Scores
Individual/Relay Results
400 Meters (out of 24 semifinalists; Top 2 from each heat plus next 3 fastest times advance to NCAA Finals on Saturday)
1. Aaliyah Butler (Georgia) - 50.16Q
11. Shaquena Foote (San Diego State) - 51.50
Shaquena Foote Finishes Season at NCAA Championships
Foote comes up 0.06 seconds short of advancing to Saturday’s 400-meter final
