By Jim Fenton

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Bridgewater State University senior sprinter Kiara Abrantes (Somerset, Mass.) has added All-American status to her impressive portfolio.

Abrantes is one of eight finalists to qualify for the 400-meter race at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships, putting her in position to earn first-team All-American honors.

She had the fifth-best time out of 20 runners in the preliminary round on Friday afternoon at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

Abrantes finished the preliminary race in 55.71 seconds. The best time of the day was 54.22 seconds by sophomore Ariella Rogahn-Press (Albuquerque, N.M.) of Macalester.

Abrantes will join seventh others bidding for a national championship on Saturday at 5:25 p.m.

This is Abrantes' third trip to the NCAAs.

She was 15th in the 400 at the indoor meet in Rochester, N.Y., last March and 16th at the outdoor meet in Geneva, Ohio, last spring.

Abrantes was also part of the All-American 4x100 relay team that was sixth last spring for the Bears.

Abrantes owns six BSU records -- the 60, 200, 400 and 500 indoors and 200 and 400 outdoors.

She has put together a sensational 2025-26 season, the final one in Abrantes' career.

Her BSU teammate, sophomore Grace Inacio (Taunton, Mass.), took part in the 200-meter dash at the NCAAs.

Inacio finished 14th in a field of 20 with a time of 24.88 to garner Second Team All-American accolades. The eighth and final qualifying time in the preliminary race was 24.52 seconds.

Inacio was in the NCAAs last spring and was part of the First Team All-American relay team along with Abrantes.

BSU graduate student Kevin McBirney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) was disqualified in the preliminaries of the men's 800-meter run. McBirney was making his second straight appearance at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships as he finished 16th a year ago in the 800 with a time of 1:56.02 at the Golisano Training Center in Rochester, New York.