June 04, 2008
Final selections have been made to the NCAA Championship field and the Texas A&M program will send 33 athletes (17 women, 16 men) to Des Moines, Iowa, for the national meet, which begins Wednesday, June 11, and runs through Saturday, June 14, at Drake Stadium.
One of the largest groups of Aggies to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships will have both A&M squads in contention for the school?â„¢s first-ever national titles in track and field.
Rankings for the Championship meet were released today by the United States Track and Field / Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and the A&M women remained No. 2 in the nation while the Aggie men are No. 3. Leading the rankings, for both the men and women, are the LSU Tigers.
The LSU women have a point total of 366.30 over the 334.51 compilation for the Aggie women. The rest of the top 10 includes: 3. Arizona State (302.49), 4. Virginia Tech (231.62); 5. Texas Tech (189.00); 6. USC (187.64); 7. Penn State (183.44); 8. Tennessee (179.98); 9. UCLA (172.89); 10. Stanford (161.75).
In the men?â„¢s rankings LSU leads with a point total of 260.84 with Florida State second at 249.45 while the A&M men sport a 233.87 total. The rest of the top 10 includes: 4. Florida (201.67); 5. Tennessee (200.97); 6. UCLA (199.45); 7. Auburn (184.14); 8. Texas (178.67); 9. Colorado (173.79); 10. Arkansas (162.06).
At-large selections for the Texas A&M women included three javelin throwers in Laura Asimakis, Emalie Humphreys and Hillary Pustka. In the sprints Khrystal Carter and Elizabeth Adeoti were both included in the 100 and 200 meters while Allison George, who is already in the 200, was also selected for the 100.
The women?â„¢s 4 x 400 relay, which placed 10th at the region meet after experiencing a dropped baton, made the at-large field.
Texas A&M will compete in all four relays at the NCAA Championships. In the men?â„¢s relays the Aggies are third in the nation in the 4 x 100 (38.83) and second in the 4 x 400 (3:03.42). The A&M women have the second-fastest time in the 4 x 100 (42.69) and fifth-fastest mark in the 4 x 400 (3:32.21).
Men?â„¢s additions to the at-large field included Big 12 Champion Gerald Phiri in the 100 and 200 while Bryan Miller and A.C. Robinson were selected to the 400. In the triple jump Zuheir Sharif and Melvin Echard made the field as well.
In all the Aggies will have a total of 40 entries in 20 events. The breakdown includes 23 women entries for 10 events while the men have 17 entries in 10 events.
A&M women have five athletes qualified for both the 100 and 200 meters along with four throwers in the javelin. Each of those three events accounted for 23 points apiece during the Big 12 Championships. In the Midwest Region meet, the Aggies scored 20 points in the 100, 20 more in the 200 and 11 in the javelin.
For the A&M men, four athletes qualified in the triple jump. That group consists of a sophomore in Sharif, who placed fifth at the NCAA meet last year, with three freshmen in Julian Reid, Tyron Stewart and Echard.
The jumps crew turned in 19 points during the Big 12 triple jump and totaled 14 points at the Midwest Region.
Likewise, the men?â„¢s sprint group has been point productive at the two postseason meets, totaling 42 points in the combination of the 100, 200 and 400 during the Big 12 Championships and 22 points from those three events at the Midwest Region.
Texas A&M NCAA Entries
Women (17 athletes, 10 events, 23 entries)
Lindsey Adams - 100H, 400H
Elizabeth Adeoti - 100, 200, 4 x 100
Laura Asimakis - Javelin
Jessica Beard - 400, 4 x 400
Khrystal Carter - 100, 200
Ashika Charan - long jump, triple jump
Simone Facey - 100, 200, 4 x 100
Allison George - 200, 4 x 100, 4 x 400
Emalie Humphreys - Javelin
Porscha Lucas - 100, 200, 4 x 100
Gabby Mayo - 4 x 100
Christina Munoz - 5000
Hillary Pustka - Javelin
Yasmine Regis - triple jump
Jennifer Williams - 100H, 4 x 400
Jessica Wingfield - Javelin
Sandy Wooten - 4 x 400
Men (16 athletes, 10 events, 17 entries)
Richard Adu-Bobie - 100, 4 x 100
Morquise Cleveland - 4 x 400 alternate
Dylan Conway - discus
Chris Dykes - 200, 4 x 100
Melvin Echard - triple jump
Bryan Miller - 400, 4 x 400
Javier Olivas - shot put
Justin Oliver - 4 x 400
Gerald Phiri - 100, 200, 4 x 100
Julian Reid - long jump, triple jump
A.C. Robinson - 400, 4 x 400
Nick Robinson - 400H, 4 x 400
Zuheir Sharif - triple jump
Dominique Stafford - 4 x 100
Tyron Stewart - triple jump
Josh Tiemann - discus