PARIS, FRANCE — Ironton’s McKenzie Long is advancing to the Olympics’ semifinals after placing third in Heat 4 of the women’s 200 meter dash with a time of 22.5 seconds on Sunday morning.

She will run again in the women’s 200 meter semifinals at 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday.

Long is a three-time NCAA track and field national champion. She got her start in track nine years ago at Ironton Middle School before the family moved to Pickerington.

After high school, she attended North Carolina State University and in her junior year, she had hip surgery. She transferred to Ole Miss where she won three national championships in under two hours for the Rebels at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Those wins included two individual victories in the women’s 100 and 200-meter dash, and she was a key piece on the 4×100-meter relay team. Long’s time of 21.83 seconds in the 200-meter dash carried historical implications with it the second fastest in college history and 24^th best all-time in women’s track and field history worldwide.

While competing at a record-setting athletic level Long also earned two bachelor’s degrees from NC State and a master’s degree at Ole Miss.