 
|
June 2, 2008
Complete Results |
Photo Gallery
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - For the fourth straight year the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) will be well represented at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. Eight Hawks went to Florida, all had solid outings, and three of them earned a berth to the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. "I am really proud of these athletes," said an elated Head Coach Ernest Barrett. "They all have worked so hard this season and all deserve to be at the regional. All of them, not just the three who will make nationals; have represented our program, the athletic department and the school very well. I know the three of them who are going to Iowa will continue to do that," he added. School has been over for a short while now at UMES and a few of the remaining students still on campus could concentrate on one thing and one thing only, track and field. The eight student-athletes, who attended the East Regional were looking for a top five finish. That finish would mean that they would earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. The Lady Hawks, coming off a great showing at the MEAC Championships, where they placed second, had five women representing the school. Tanisha Wisdom continued her ongoing pursuit of a 400-meter championship Saturday, placing 4th along side some of the fastest women in the country. Her time of 52.71 was a personal best and set a new school record in the event. The top five posting qualified her for the Division I National Championship. Celia Whyte and Merrecia James competed in the 800-meter run. Whyte placed 13th with a time of 2:09.33 while James qualified for the finals running a new school record and personal best. She ended up posting a 2:07.30 and placing fifth, also qualifying for the National Championship. Freshman sensation Danai Lendor came off her dominating performance in the MEAC Championships to place 31st among the country's best hurdlers, most of which happen to reside in the East Region. Her time was 1:03.36. Lendor, James, Wisdom, and Whyte came together for the 4x400-meter relay and placed 12th with a time of 3:41.57. Saisha Woodward, who threw the javelin in the regional, earned a berth from her win at MEACs. Woodward threw a solid 31.39 meters, a top 30 finish. Her toss bested throwers from Richmond, North Carolina, Rutgers and Army. For the Fighting Hawks the talks of All-American are growing for Allodin Fothergill. After qualifying for the finals in a stiff field of 400-meter runners, Fothergill ran 46.40 to place fifth and qualify for the National Championship. His time beat out all MEAC, ACC, and SEC runners which is an impressive showing for the sophomore. Peter Sang also competed with the nations best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase placing 30th with a time of 9:48.96. Freshmen Amon Kiprotich also ran in the 5,000-meter run but did not finish the race, something not uncommon in the heat as he was one of 12 runners entered that did not cross the finish line. Wisdom, James, and Fothergill will continue on their paths to gain All-American status and possibly a National Championship when they travel to Drake University located in Des Moines, Iowa. The Division I National Championship will be held from June 11-14. |
|||||||||
| ||||||||||
