Kate Hall of Casco heads into her first NCAA outdoor track and field championships on top of her game after setting the University of Georgia long jump record May 25.

Hall’s mark of 21 feet, 11 inches ranks her fifth among Division I long jumpers heading into the NCAA meet that will run Wednesday through Saturday in Eugene, Oregon.

“I’m really happy about my jump. I knew I needed a good jump to make the nationals,” Hall said of the record set at the East qualifier at the University of Kentucky. “I had been behind the board on my previous jumps, and I knew on my last jump I wanted to be right in the middle of the board. It felt really good. But I know it could have had a little more pop. So I’m encouraged.”

She’s one of the two Maine athletes in the Division I meet.

Penn State sophomore Isaiah Harris of Lewiston is ranked second among 800-meter runners after running 1 minute, 45.12 seconds April 21 at the Virginia Challenge, where he broke the Penn State school record.

He also earned his fourth straight Big 10 800-meter title this spring, and is coming off an indoor season where he earned All-American in the 800 by finishing fourth at the nationals.

Harris will compete in the 800 semifinals Wednesday and the final Friday, if he qualifies. Hall competes in the long jump final Thursday.

Hall will be one of the nine women trying to help Georgia win the NCAA team title, including her training partner and four-time NCAA triple jump champion, Keturah Orji.

Hall earned All-American at the indoor nationals by finishing fourth in the long jump (21-3.25).

She said her training this outdoor season has gone well and she’s hitting big marks more often.

Changing how she takes off from the long jump board, right before the pit, was the answer.

Georgia Coach Petros Kyprianou worked with Hall during the indoor season to change her takeoff, from where she pushes off primarily with her toe to where she pushes off with her entire foot.

Hall said the change has provided more power and more consistency.

She has jumped 21-5 or better at every outdoor meet this season.

Hall said after transferring from Iowa State to Georgia in September that the indoor season turned into an adjustment period. She redshirted last outdoor season after deciding to change schools, making this outdoor season her freshman year of eligibility.

“It’s been going really well. I think the main thing for me, I was fixing my approach and learning how to run the right way, and take off the right way,” Hall said. “If you take off with your toe, you lose all your speed. Now I’m transferring that speed into my jump. My jumps are more consistent as a result.”

Hall will return to the West Coast in two weeks to compete in the USA outdoor championships in Sacramento, California, attempting to earn a spot on the U.S. team for the world championships.