LEXINGTON, Kentucky—The Northwestern State sprinters have led the way for the Northwestern State women's track and field team all season long.

So it makes sense that the group once again headlines the NSU women's team as it starts competition Thursday at the NCAA East Regionals on the campus of the University of Kentucky.

The events involving NSU begin at 5 p.m. with the women's 100-meter hurdle, involving Vanessa Balde. The final event is the women's 400-meter dash at 6:25 p.m.

On Saturday, the events with NSU's athletes start at noon with the women's discus and end with the women's 4x400 relay.

Each day will be broadcast on ESPN+.

The top 48 in the region in each individual event qualified, as well as the top 24 relay teams, with only one relay team per school admitted.

"Obviously, we really wanted to do well in the conference stuff, but this is individual, trying to get to nationals," head coach Mike Heimerman said. "It shows how good they are among their peers in the nation, so to have this many people going to the first round is a testament to how talented this group is."

Sanaria Butler leads that collection of sprinters, as she aims to reach the NCAA Nationals for a second consecutive season.

Just like in 2023 at nationals, Butler is participating in the 400-meter dash.

Butler's time of a school-record 52.11 was clocked at the LSU Alumni Gold, coming in 11^th to qualify for the regional.

She is coming off earning the gold medal in the event at the Southland Conference Championships, clocking a meet-record 52.56.

In addition to Butler, Lynell Washington, Maygan Shaw and Vanessa Balde are sprinters heading to Kentucky.

Shaw joins Butler in the 400, as she finished 19^th among NCAA East qualifying athletes. She ran a 52.59 at the home meet, the Leon Johnson Invitational, in April.

She finished silver in the event, only behind Butler at the SLC Championships.

Balde reached the NCAA East prelims in 2023, but not in the 100-meter hurdles, which she is participating in this season.

"I am really happy about making it again," Balde said. "Reaching regionals again just means I improved over the year and it means that last year was not just luck."

The sophomore is coming off a gold medal in the 100 hurdles at the SLC Championships and is ranked 22nd out of the entries.

Balde clocked a season-best 13.17 in the event at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout, converted from 13.13 due to altitude.

All three—along with Tranasia Jones—make up the record-breaking 4x400 relay team. Fresh off clinching the team title for the NSU women with a gold in the race, the quartet heads to Kentucky, ranked 13th among regional entries.

"The women ran fast at Texas and I think they are going to have to run even faster, which I think they will be able to," Heimerman said. "We have almost overloaded them too much at some meets, especially conference.

"A lot of the girls literally ran five or six races at conference and still ran 3:35. They can run faster and hopefully they do it the day of and I am confident they will."

Washington, the lone senior sprinter who reached the regionals, made it based on an 11.38—converted from 11.35 for altitude—at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout. That time is second in the Southland Conference this season.

While the men have three in the discus, the women have two of its own, Kaitlyn Washington and Shakera Kirk.

Kirk earned her spot in regionals after winning the gold medal in the event in the SLC Championships, tossing a 167-3.

Kaitlyn Washington tossed an SLC-best 170-2 at the LSU Alumni Gold in April, which earned her a spot in regionals. It is her first appearance at regionals.

Also making her first appearance at regionals is senior pole vaulter Madison Brown, who is fresh off her bronze medal at the SLC Championships.

Brown makes the trip to the Bluegrass State after finishing 40^th among entries in the pole vault, clearing 13-4.25, which she accomplished at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout.

Samari Finney makes the regionals in the long jump, doing so due to recording a distance of 20-3 at the Bobcat Invitational.

Following the day, the men are back for its final day Friday before the women wrap up the regionals Saturday.