Emmi Scales and three other Kentucky track and field athletes advanced to Saturday's finals at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships Thursday night at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Scales, a Kentucky junior who entered the meet as an SEC champion, qualified for the women's 100-meter hurdles final with the second-fastest time of the day at 12.72 seconds. She will compete Saturday unbeaten against collegiate runners this season, according to UK Athletics.

"In the culmination of an incredible junior season, will enter the final unbeaten against collegiate runners this season and earn her first career national title," UK Athletics reported, though Scales must still run Saturday to claim the title.

Sophomore Janet Jepkemboi Amimo posted the fifth-fastest qualifying time in the women's 800-meter semifinal at 1:59.75, earning an automatic spot in Saturday's final as the fifth-place finisher in her heat.

Freshman Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera secured the third-fastest qualifying time in the women's 400-meter hurdles semifinal at 55.41, advancing to Saturday's final after a strong final 100 meters of her race.

The women's 4x400-meter relay team, consisting of A'Laji Bradley, Hannah Douglas, Kerubo Nyagisera and Cha'iel Johnson, qualified for the final with the 3:29.28 time, earning the final qualifying spot of the night.

The Wildcats also competed but did not advance in several other events. Junior Camden Bentley placed 17th in the 100-meter hurdles semifinal with a time of 13.10, while freshman Rukia Nusra Omulisia finished 14th at 12.99. In the women's 400 meters, Hannah Douglas finished 22nd with a time of 52.68.

Senior Sarah Ferguson, competing in her first NCAA Championship, placed 23rd in the women's pole vault final with a height of 4.09 meters.

The championship concludes Saturday with men's finals in the triple jump and 3,000-meter steeplechase, and women's finals including Scales' 100-meter hurdles race.