Albany State freshman Sydney Blackburn headed to NCAA Division II championship meet

Albany State University freshman Sydney Blackburn has qualified for the NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships, scheduled for Thursday to Saturday in Allendale, Mich.

Student-athletes qualified for the championships by achieving the automatic and provisional standards established for each event. Blackburn qualified in the discus with a throw of 51.55 meters (169 feet, 1 inch).

“Sydney is mild mannered and is extremely dedicated and is a hard worker in practice,” Albany State head track and field coach Kenneth Taylor said. “She is very coachable. She is always willing to do what it takes to get better. She has broken the school discus record four times this season. Sydney is extremely competitive and tends to rise to the occasion in big competitions.”

Blackburn qualified with her personal-best and school-record throw during a meet at the University of North Florida. She is ranked seventh in NCAA Division II headed into nationals.

Blackburn, from Pompano Beach, Fla., was a highly recruited thrower out of Highland Christian High School. She eventually signed with Albany State, her mother Kassandra Phillips’ alma mater.

Albany State University