AUSTIN -- Arkansas' Britton Wilson got her historic double attempt off to a rousing start, cruising to new meet and facility records of 49.53 in the 400m semifinals at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

Wilson, who is attempting to become the first athlete ever to win collegiate titles in the 400m and 400m hurdles in the same meet, had no trouble qualifying for her first final of the met out of Heat 2. 

Running in Lane 6, the junior turned on the jets at the 125-meter mark and had more than made up the stagger by the time she got to the second turn. Coming off the last turn she had opened about a 15-meter lead. Seeing that she wasn't close to being threatened, she throttled down with 40 meters to go and literally jogged across the finish line.

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BRITTON WILSON!!!! (As always 🤷‍♀️)

A meet record in the prelims!!

📺 ESPN2 #NCAATF x @RazorbackTF pic.twitter.com/deClv3tHxv

— NCAA Track & Field (@NCAATrackField) June 9, 2023

Wilson, who set the collegiate record of 49.13 at the SEC Championships last month, took down the meet record of 49.57 set in 2021 by Athing Mu of Texas A&M and the facility record of 49.68 set by Olympian Gaby Thomas at the Texas Relays in April seemingly effortlessly.

Around 30 minutes later, Wilson doubled back to advance easily in the 400m hurdles, winning her heat in 54.67. She registered the fastest qualifying time for Saturday's final by nearly a second.

She is currently ranked No. 2 in the world in both the 400m and 400m hurdles.

In the final, Wilson's top competition in the flat 400m figures to come from Texas junior Rashidat Adeleke, who easily won Heat 1 in 49.86.

Defending champion Talitha Diggs of Florida, who is doubling in the 200m, won a tightly-contested third heat in 50.35.

The remaining qualifiers for the 400m final are Nickisha Pryce of Arkansas (50.31), Jan'Taijah Jones of USC (50.31), Ziyah Holman of Michigan (50.40), Rosey Effiong of Arkansas (50.69), and Texas A&M's Jermaisha Arnold (50.80) and Tierra Robinson-Jones (51.20).