May 30, 2009

Florida State Opens First Day Of NCAA Regionals With Good Showing
Although inclement weather was expected to delay the 2009 NCAA East Regional Championships Friday, May 29th, the sun continued to shine for the Florida State track and field teams (Men-No. 5/Women-No. 3) at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T. A total of nine Seminoles were successful in prevailing past the preliminaries and will make an appearance in the finals on Saturday, May 30, in the final day of the regional meet. The Garnet and Gold also nationally qualified four athletes for next month's NCAA Outdoor Championship.

The Seminoles started setting the good foundation early in the meet. Senior Bryan Howard kicked-off the day in the javelin where the Warminster, Pa., native posted a first-place throw of 64.48m/211-06 to win the first flight. The forceful throw earned Howard fourth place in the finals and is noted as a new personal record.

Despite changes in the line-up due to injuries, the men's quartet of Maurice Mitchell (Kansas City, Mo.), Brian Chibudu (Harare, Zimbabwe), Kevin Williams (Miami, Fla.) and Charles Clark (Virginia Beach, Va.) took the track for the 4x100m relay where the men overcame the obstacle to earn first place in their heat with a time of 39.63. The four Seminoles will battle in the finals tomorrow afternoon after the women's final. 

Habazin, Pryor win titles at NCAA East Regional
The Virginia Tech track and field squad captured two individual titles, as the throwers shined in the first day of the NCAA East Regional on the Irwin Belk Track in Greensboro, N.C., on Saturday.

The women throwers highlighted the first day of the NCAA Regional meet. Sophomore Dorotea Habazin tossed a 207-11 in the women’s hammer throw to win the regional championship. The Zagreb, Croatia native will make her second appearance in the event at the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., on June 10-13.

Senior Brittany Pryor put an exclamation point on her final regional meet with a first-place finish in the women’s discus throw. Pryor tossed a 171-01, breaking her own school record, to capture the gold medal, and then followed that performance up with a third-place showing in the hammer throw, launching a 190-11. 

Ford, 4x100m Relay Highlight Day One for Clemson at NCAA East Regional
Clemson received some strong performances from its sprint group, namely the men's 4x100m relay, Friday to lead the Tiger track & field program on day one at the NCAA East Region Championships. The meet is being held at the Irwin Belk Track Facility on the North Carolina A&T campus.

Jacoby Ford and Justin Murdock both advanced to Saturday's final of the 100m dash. Ford turned in the top time of the preliminary round, clocking a 10.21 into a slight headwind. Ford hopes to become the second winner of the event in as many years for Clemson. Travis Padgett won the 100m dash last season.

Murdock, who was one of three freshmen to qualify for the final, posted a time of 10.38 and qualified as one of the fastest times of the non-heat winners. 

Kelly and Grant Qualify For NCAA Championships in Discus
Seniors Caitlin Kelly and Billie-Jo Grant of the Virginia track and field team finished second and fifth, respectively, in the discus on Friday evening at the 2009 NCAA East Region Championships, automatically qualifying them for the NCAA Championships on June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. In addition, four Cavaliers advanced to tomorrow’s regional finals with an opportunity to vie for a spot at this year’s national championships.

Kelly finished runner-up with a throw of 167’ 3” and will be making her first appearance at NCAAs, while Grant – a three-time All-American - finished with a mark of 162’ 6” to advance to nationals for the second-straight year.

In today’s preliminary action, freshman Morgane Gay, senior Andrew Jesien and junior Kevin Tschirhart each advanced to tomorrow’s finals in the 1500m, while freshman Lance Roller advanced in the 800m. 

Sensing Finishes Fifth In the Javelin, Qualifies To NCAA Championships
Junior Thomas Sensing qualified for his first NCAA Championship with a fifth-place finish in the javelin throw Friday afternoon at the NCAA East Regionals at the NC A&T's Irwin Belk Track in Greensboro.

Sensing had a toss of 207-05 (63.23m) in his first attempt of the event and that mark held-up through the rest of his heat as well as through the finals.

Sensing also competed in the shot put Friday evening but didn't find the same fortune as his first toss of 52-01.00 was followed by a pair of fouls. He finished 28th in the event. 

Ellis Qualifies For NCAA Championships In The Long Jump
Duke senior Jade Ellis leapt 24-3.75, winning his flight and placing third overall to earn an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Championships June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. His performance highlighted the Blue Devils’ first day of competition at the East Regional on the campus of North Carolina A&T Friday in Greensboro.

Ellis holds the school record in both the long jump and the triple jump, winning the ACC title in the long jump earlier this outdoor season. The senior will return to compete in the triple jump tomorrow. He now joins teammate Tyler Clarke at the NCAAs, where the fellow senior will compete in the decathlon.

The 1500m saw Duke qualify a runner in both the men’s and women’s races for tomorrow’s finals, with senior Molly Lehman clocking 4:20.58 to take second in her heat and fifth overall, while sophomore Cory Nanni took second in his heat and seventh overall on the men’s side in 3:46.97. Each will return tomorrow in the finals with a shot at advancing to the national meet.

Ahoure Leads Hurricanes into Final Day of NCAA Regionals
Senior Murielle Ahoure led the 22nd-ranked women's track and field team into the second day of the NCAA East Regional, with three impressive performances at Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T.

Ahoure ran the second-fastest time in school history in the preliminary heat of the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.14 seconds, trailing only Hurricane great Lauryn Williams (10.97). The top-time of all the preliminary times also stands as the best time ever in an East Regional and is an Irwin Belk Track record.

Ahoure was just as impressive in the 200-meters dash, as she raced to the UM's third fastest-time ever in the event at 22.92 seconds. The Bristow, Va. native heads to the finals on Saturday at 7 p.m. with the fastest preliminary time. She will be joined be teammate Kristy Whyte who ran the third-best prelim time at 23.66 seconds. 

Records Fall On Day One of East Region Championships
Lifted by senior Jerome Miller's regional high jump record, four members of the Georgia Tech men's and women's track & field teams posted top-five finishes on day one of the NCAA East Region Championships Friday in Greensboro, N.C.

Miller, along with senior Kimery Hern, junior Steve Marcelle and sophomore Joanna Wright all qualified for the NCAA Championships, held June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark., with their top-five finishes.

Miller's East Region record came at a clearance of 7'3.25", as he won the high jump and advances to his third NCAA Championships, first since the 2007 season. Though not a school-record, the Stafford, Va. native broke the regional record of 7'2.25" set by Princeton's Justin Frick in 2008. Miller has now tied the Tech outdoor record for the second-straight meet after breaking it at the Seminole Twilight Invitational earlier this season.

Two Tar Heels Will Move On to Nationals
The University of North Carolina track and field teams stepped into competition f on Friday at the East Regional looking to secure berths to the NCAA National Championships. Vanneisha Ivy and Ed Baldwin punched their tickets and more Tar Heels are looking to do the same.

The women's 4x100-meter relay won their preliminary heat and earned the fourth fastest time overall. The 45.07-qualifier was run by Vanneisha Ivy, Malai Walker, Cierra McGee and Tyler Ford. The Tar Heels will compete again on Saturday to try to claim their stakes at the National Championships.

Ivy also raced a 13.25 in the 100-meter hurdles, earning the second place slot in the East Regional and a place at the NCAA National Championships.

Fedrick Reaches Final in Women's 400
Senior Michelle Fedrick earned a berth in Saturday's final of the women's 400-meter dash by winning her preliminary heat and posting the third-best time in the field Friday at the NCAA East Regional Track and Field Championships being hosted by North Carolina A&T.

Fedrick ran 53.44 to win her heat, besting Lauren McNary of Howard, who went 53.99. Fedrick will be seeded third in Saturday's final and needs to finish in the top five to earn a berth to the NCAA National Championships in mid-June.

Alexandria Spruiel of North Carolina A&T won her heat in 53.01, with Francena McCorory of Hampton earning the second-best time at 53.02. 

Henry 10th in Hammer Throw at NCAA Regionals
Lawanda Henry was 10th in the hammer throw with a 169'11" at the NCAA Outdoor Regional Championships on Friday afternoon. Henry will wait to see if her mark is good enough to advance her to the NCAA Championships in the event. Henry will compete in her best event on Saturday, the shot put.

To qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, an athlete has to finish in the top-5 to make it automatically, and need to finish in top 12 to be in pool to make it to NCAAs based off of the mark.

Other athletes in action were Brittany McCain in the discus (17th) for the women and Jason Jones for the men in the shot put (19th).