JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Pete deJonge (4x400m relay), Jacques Guillaume (4x400m relay), Nathan Kent (400m, 4x400m relay), Murphy Smith (10,000m) and David Walker (4x400m relay) each qualified for the 2025 NCAA Div. I Outdoor Track & Field Championship following standout performances at the NCAA East Region First Round at the Jax Track on the campus of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. The week was highlighted by three school records set in the 400m, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay.
 
"It was a great day for Navy track and field," said Director of Track and Field Jamie Cook. "This is what you prepare for, and you've got to be at your best when it matters most. The 4x400m relay team set a school record to secure the final qualifying spot. Those guys have worked so hard for the last two years and to beat out SEC powerhouses was pretty awesome. It's very exciting for these athletes and their families."
 
The 4x400m relay squad of Kent, Walker, deJonge and Guillaume qualified for nationals by clocking a school-record 3:04.05. It's the second time under Cook's leadership that a Navy 4x400m relay team will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship.
 
Kent tied the program's sixth-fastest 400m time (45.99) to place 16th and advanced to the quarterfinal round. He went on to break Navy's 400m record of 45.32, which he previously set at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials last June, by running 45.23 and placed fourth. The Rocklin, Calif., native will make his second-consecutive NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship appearance in the event.
 
Murphy Smith punched his ticket to Eugene, Oregon, for the first time in his career with a ninth-place finish in the 10,000m (29:06.20). His time ranks as the fourth fastest in program history.
 
"It's been amazing to see Murphy's dedication to the sport. He has been a great leader," said Cook. "He had to run three hours after the scheduled time due to a rain delay, but to still qualify at 1:00 a.m. shows the competitiveness he has. I'm really excited for him."
 
Guillaume advanced to the 400m hurdles quarterfinals with a first-round time of 50.94, the third-fastest in Navy history. The Jacksonville native concluded his collegiate 400m hurdles career with a school-record 50.58 to place 17th, breaking his own previously-held record of 50.76 set at the Navy Outdoor Invitational in March.
 
Sheldon Ulmer competed in the high jump, clearing his second-best mark of the season at 2.10m (6' 10.75") to place 14th.
 
Malachi Cummings made his NCAA East Region debut in the javelin where he recorded a throw of 61.23 meters (200' 10 ") to place 35th. It was the second time in his career that he surpassed the 60m mark.
 
Up Next
deJonge, Guillaume, Kent, Smith and Walker will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championship on June 11th (noon) and 13th (11:45 a.m.) in Eugene, Ore.