TicketsCINCINNATI — The University of Cincinnati track and field program will head south to Jacksonville, Fla., this week to compete in the 2025 NCAA East First Rounds hosted by the University of North Florida.
In total, 15 Bearcats qualified for the NCAA East First Round in 16 different events and will look to claim their spot at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
For individual event entries, the top 48 declared student-athletes were accepted into the first-round competitions. The top 12 finishers in each event will advance to the NCAA Championships.
The East First Round will run Wednesday, May 28 through Saturday, May 31. The men's first round events will be held on Wednesday and Friday, while the women's events will be held on Thursday and Saturday.
Fans can follow along with all the action from Jacksonville via live results. The meet will also be streamed on ESPN+. Fans looking to attend the first rounds can find ticket information here.
Juliette Laracuente-Huebner (heptathlon) has already punched her ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Unlike other events, athletes in combined events (Heptathlon and Decathlon) do not participate in the first round. Instead, the top 24 declared student-athletes based on their position on the national descending-order list qualify directly for the Championships.
Laracuente-Huebner used a record-setting performance at the Jim Freeman / Clark Wood Open to achieve her qualifying mark. The Marengo, Ohio, native broke the school record, scoring 5,698 points as she claimed victory at the meet.
// RANKING INSIDE THE TOP FIVE
The Bearcats have four athletes who earned top five marks across the East Region.
Leading the charge is Fred Moudani-Likibi, who sits third in the East Region men's shot put standings with his impressive 20.28m mark, representing the highest qualifying standard among all Bearcat competitors this season.
In the women's discus, Amanda Ngandu Ntumba has staked her claim among the region's elite with the fourth-best mark at 60.10m.
Astley Davis secured the fifth-best mark in the East Region after soaring an impressive 16.11m in the triple jump.
Rounding out the regional standouts is Juliette Laracuente-Huebner, whose multi-event excellence has earned national recognition. Her heptathlon total of 5,698 points places her fifth in the East Region while also ranking 16th nationally.
// WHAT'S BETTER THAN ONE? TWO!
Five Bearcats will compete in two events at the NCAA East First Rounds.
Macaela Walker | 100m Hurdle & 400m Hurdle
Walker ranks 19th in the 100m hurdles (13.13) and 20th in the 400m hurdles (57.43).
Kya Epps | 100m & 200m
Epps ranks 44th in the 100m (11.41) and 18th in the 200m (22.98).
Davenae Fagan | 200m & 400m
Fagan ranks 33rd in the 400m with a time of 52.68 and 37th in the 200m, clocking a time of 23.14.
Amanda Ngandu Ntumba | Shot Put & Discus
Ngandu Ntumba ranks 4th in the discus (60.10m) and 25th in the shot put (16.33m).
Korbin Spencer | Shot Put & Discus
Spencer ranks 27th in the shot put (18.50m) and 20th in the discus (57.02m).
// ON TOP OF THE RECORD BOOK
Eight of the 16 qualifying Bearcats are the program record holders in their event, seven of which were set this season.
Men
-
Ryan Rieckmann – Javelin (71.02m, 2025)
-
Camden Beatty– 400m Hurdle (51.08, 2025)
-
Orry Willems – Hammer (65.39m, 2025)
-
Fred Moudani-Likibi – Shot Put (20.54m, 2023)
Women
-
Macaela Walker – 400m Hurdle (57.43, 2025)
-
Amanda Ngandu Ntumba – Discus (60.10m, 2025)
-
Claire Curtsinger – 10,000m (33:46.17, 2025)
-
Juliette Laracuente-Huebner – Heptathlon (5,698, 2025)
// DIVING INTO THE QUALIFIERS
Coming back from a season-ending injury that sidelined him for all of 2023-24, graduate student Fred Moudani-Likibi has returned in dominant form without missing a beat. The decorated athlete brings an impressive resume as a three time All-American, four-time NCAA participant and a conference champion in three different leagues (Big 12, American and C-USA). Moudani-Libiki etched his name into the NCAA first round after capturing the Big 12 outdoor shot put title, launching a throw of 20.28m.
Junior Kya Epps transferred from Walsh University after competing at the DII national championships in both 2023 and 2024. The sprinter captured the 200m Midwest first round title in 2023 and claimed the GMAC 200m conference championship. Epps's credentials include a recognition as a two-time DII All-American in 2023 and 2024. The Akron, Ohio native earned a fourth-place podium Big 12 finish in the 200m (22.98) to earn a spot in the First Round.
Record-breaking power defines senior Ryan Rieckmann's arrival from Eastern Washington, where he competed as a two-time NCAA participant in 2023 and 2024. His incredible 71.02m javelin toss at the Texas Relays not only earned qualification but shattered the school record, surpassing Brian Zimmerman's 69.45m mark that had stood since 2010. Rieckmann also impressed at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships as he notched a fifth-place podium finish in the javelin.
Championship pedigree comes with transfer graduate student Orry Willems from Findlay, who brought over impressive Division II credentials after competing at NCAA championships in 2023 and 2024. The standout performer claimed the 2023 GMAC hammer throw conference title and earned a fourth-place outdoor finish while collecting three-time DII All-American honors. Willems earned his qualifying mark at the Jesse Ownes Classic, after taking home a first place hammer throw finish, thanks to his program record breaking toss of 65.39m.
Graduate student Astley Davis is a transfer from Southern Utah, who brings extensive NCAA experience as a three-time participant in 2022, 2023, and 2024 at the Division I level, plus additional DII NCAA experience at U-Mary. Davis claimed a Big 12 indoor national triple jump championship (15.79m) and earned a second-place outdoor finish (16.11m) this season. The Kingston, Jamaca native also boasts three All-American selections and earned WAC conference titles in the triple jump for both 2023 indoor and outdoor seasons.
Making her mark in the throwing circle, graduate student Amanda Ngandu Ntumba delivered a statement performance at the Big 12 outdoor championships with a second-place finish in the discus and a third place mark in the shot put. She earned her qualifying mark in the discus at the Texas Relays with a record-breaking performance. Her incredible 60.10m discus throw demolished the previous school record by nearly five meters, surpassing Jane Sensibaugh's 55.15m mark from 2022.
Already establishing herself as a versatile threat, sophomore Davenae Fagan participated in NCAA First Rounds last season, competing in both the 200m and 400m events early in her collegiate career. She is set to compete in both events again this year after registering a time of 23.14 in the 200m and a 52.68 time in the 400m.
Bringing championship experience from the DI level, graduate student Hannah Blood transferred from Grand Canyon University after capturing a WAC conference title in 2024. She boasts NCAA participation experience from two different programs — Grand Canyon in 2024 and ULM in 2022. Blood is set to compete in the hammer throw after she recorded the fourth furthest mark in school history (59.58m).
Setting personal bests when it mattered most, graduate student Korbin Spencer delivered a breakthrough performance at the Big 12 championships with three consecutive shot put personal bests en route to an eighth-place podium finish (18.50m). He will compete in the shot put and discus at the NCAA East First Round. Spencer has previously claimed the American Athletic Conference discus title in 2023 and competed at NCAAs that same year.
Running into the record books, graduate student Jed Helker punched his ticket to NCAA's by clocking the second-fastest 1500m time in school history (3:40.60). He previously competed at the NCAA level in 2021 while at Wichita State.
Adding valuable championship-level experience, transfer Miranda Tcheutchoua brings two years of NCAA participation from New Mexico State in 2023 and 2024. Tcheutchoua claimed a spot in the Frist Round after hurling the third furthest hammer toss in program history at 59.99m.
Claiming his spot at the home meet, junior Ben Fiser qualified in impressive fashion at the Bearcats Oliver Nikoloff Invitational by unleashing the fifth-furthest hammer throw in program history with a mark of 61.81m.
Junior Claire Curtsinger kept up an incredible pace in the 10,000m at the Raliegh Relays to qualify for the East First Round. Curtsinger clocked a program record time of 33:46.17 on her way to compete among the region's best.
Blazing into the record books, junior Camden Beatty set a new school record at the Big 12 championships while earning NCAA First Round qualification. His 51.08 clocking earned a 10th place preliminary finish and secured his place in Bearcat history.
// CINCINNATI NCAA EAST FIRST ROUND QUALIFIERS
Men (Wednesday & Friday)
Astley Davis – Triple Jump (16.11m, 5th)
Camden Beatty – 400m Hurdles (51.08, 38th)
Fred Moudani-Likibi – Shot Put (20.28m, 3rd)
Jed Helker – 1,500m (3:40.60, 42nd)
Korbin Spencer – Shot Put (18.50m, 27th) / Discus (57.02m, 20th)
Orry Willems – Hammer Throw (65.39m, 21st)
Ben Fiser – Hammer Throw (61.81m, 48th)
Ryan Rieckmann – Javelin (71.02m, 12th)
Women (Thursday & Saturday)
Claire Curtsinger – 10,000m (33:46.17, 36th)
Davenae Fagan – 200m (23.14, 37th) / 400m (52.68, 33rd)
Hannah Blood – Hammer Throw (59.58m, 32nd)
Kya Epps – 100m (11.41, 44th) / 200m (22.98, 18th)
Macaela Walker – 100m Hurdles (13.13, 19th) / 400m Hurdles (57.43, 20th)
Miranda Tcheutchoua – Hammer Throw (59.99m, 28th)
Amanda Ngandu Ntumba – Shot Put (16.33m, 25th) / Discus (60.10m, 4th)
// NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS
Juliette Laracuente-Huebner – Heptathlon (5,698, 16th)