Former Midlands track standout turns in record-setting performance at NCAA regional

Jaylen Bacon used a record-setting performance in earning a spot to the NCAA Track and Field Championships.

The former Lower Richland standout and Arkansas State senior ran a 9.97 in the 100 (with a wind reading of +0.9) on Friday at the NCAA West Region qualifier in Sacramento. Bacon’s time was tied for the lowest in the world this year and a school record.

Bacon advances to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the second straight year. He finished fifth last year in the 100 and eighth in the 200.

Bacon, who ran a 9.99 at last week’s Sun Belt Conference championships, will try and qualify in the 200 Saturday evening.

Bacon, a four-time Sun Belt Conference performer, won a silver medal with Team USA in the 4x100 relay at the IAAF World Track & Field Championships in London last year.

At Lower Richland, he was South Carolina’s Gatorade Boys Track and Field Athlete of Year in 2014, winning the 100, 200, 400 and 4x100 relay in the state meet.

This story was originally published May 26, 2018 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Former Midlands track standout turns in record-setting performance at NCAA regional."