BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Lynell Washington’s chances at reaching her first NCAA Outdoor National Championships were caught up in a record-setting performance Saturday afternoon.

Competing in her first regional final, Washington clocked an 11.63, a mark that came in a field that saw LSU’s Favour Ofili establish a Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex record in the women’s 100 meters at the NCAA East Regionals.

Washington ran in Saturday’s first heat, which came into a 1.3 mph headwind. By comparison, the next two heats were run with a 1.3 mph tailwind and a 0.2 mph headwind, respectively.

Starting in Lane 2, Washington went toe-to-toe with the entire field for more than half the race before Ofili and the field pulled away. Her time was 23rd among the 24 competitors.

“She got a little tight at the end,” head coach Mike Heimerman said. “Her first 60 meters were tremendous. They were all in the same line. She broke down a little around 80 meters. They were running into the toughest headwind, and she’s the smallest one out there. It’s still a great season for her, and she didn’t run a bad time.”

Washington finished eighth in her heat, capping a strong outdoor season for the sophomore, who missed most of the 2021 outdoor season because of injury. It marked the first full outdoor collegiate season for Washington as her 2020 season was scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic before injuries kept her from catching a groove in 2021.

She clocked a personal-best 11.41 in Thursday’s semifinals, a mark that was just .04 shy of the school record.

“We still didn’t get quite as much training with her as we should,” Heimerman said. “She’s getting healthier. All things are headed in the right direction. She’s going to keep getting better and better.”