May 28, 2009
Midwest Region HEATS
NORMAN, Okla. - Texas A&M Track and Field Thursday, May 28, 2009
No. 2 Aggies ready for both title defenses at Midwest Region
Norman, Okla. - Texas A&M, No. 2 this week in the women's and men's national rankings, continues its trek into the postseason by competing at the Midwest Region hosted by Oklahoma and defending team titles the Aggies attained last season.
The two-day meet starts on Friday and concludes Saturday at John Jacobs Field on the OU campus. Field events begin at 11 a.m. each day while running events start at 3:30 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Among the 45 schools entered in the Midwest Region, there will be 15 schools ranked among the top 25 in the coaches national rankings (www.ustfccca.org).
The Aggies are the top ranked team in both the men's and women's divisions among squads entered in the Midwest Region.
Last season the A&M women won the Midwest Region for the second consecutive year with 116 points, sporting a 50-point gap on runner-up Texas Tech, while the Aggie men topped the field with 87 points, nearly 20 points ahead of host Nebraska, to earn its first postseason title since 2001.
Eight ranked women's teams in the 2009 Midwest Region include: 2. Texas A&M, 8. Baylor, 9. Texas, 18. Nebraska, 20. UTEP, 23. Oklahoma; 24. Minnesota and 25. TCU.
The Aggie women recently won the Big 12 title, for the third straight year, while Rice enters the region meet as champions of Conference USA. TCU finished second in the Mountain West while Minnesota placed third in the Big 10.
Seven ranked men's squads in this year's region meet include: 2. Texas A&M, 7. Nebraska, 11. Texas, 14. Texas Tech, 16, Baylor, 17. Kansas State, and 19. Minnesota.
Nebraska claimed the Big 12 title with the A&M men runner-up. Other conference champions in the Midwest Region include Minnesota from the Big 10, Houston in Conference USA and Northern Iowa from the Missouri Valley.
The regional meet, one of four being contested this weekend, will determine the NCAA Championship field. The top five finishers from each event, or top three relays, will earn automatic entry into the national meet hosted by Arkansas on June 10-13.
Other entrants advancing to the NCAA Championships will be selected from descending order lists as long as they place in the top 12 in individual events, or top 10 in relays.
One Aggie already qualified for the NCAA Championships is Trinity Otto, who earned an automatic score of 7,655 points in the decathlon during the Big 12 Championships. Otto will contest the long jump at the region meet after earning a regional qualifying mark during the decathlon in Lubbock.
Among the entries for the Midwest Region, the Aggies have 18 athletes seeded among the top five heading into the weekend action. In addition A&M has the top seeded relay in the men's and women's 4 x 100 as well as the men's 4 x 400.
WOMEN - Aggies ranked among top 5
100: 2. Porscha Lucas, 11.12; 3. Gabby Mayo, 11.13.
200: 2. Porscha Lucas, 22.92.
400: 1. Jessica Beard, 51.52.
100H: 2. Vashti Thomas, 13.05; 3. Gabby Mayo, 13.14.
4x100: 1. Texas A&M, 42.91.
4x400: 4. Texas A&M, 3:34.48.
TJ: 2. Yasmine Regis, 13.55; 5. Ashika Charan, 13.09.
JT: 4. Laura Asimakis, 49.75; 5. Emalie Humphreys, 49.10.
MEN - Aggies ranked among top 5
100: 1. Gerald Phiri, 10.15.
200: 2. Chris Dykes, 20.43.
400: 2. Justin Oliver, 45.73.
110H: 4. De'Lon Isom, 13.71.
4x100: 1. Texas A&M, 38.79.
4x400: 1. Texas A&M, 3:03.56.
LJ: 2. Julian Reid, 7.88.
TJ: 2. Zuheir Sharif, 16.27.
The Aggie squad size of 45 athletes (24 women, 21 men), will feature five entrants each for A&M in the men's triple jump and women's triple jump. In addition there will be a crew of four women javelin throwers, four men's long jumpers, and four women sprinters in the 100.
There will also be a trio of Aggie women sprinters in the 200 and three vaulters in the women's pole vault. Events that include a pair of A&M athletes are the men's 200, men's 400, men's high jump, women's 100 hurdles, and women's discus.
Following are the entrants, by event, for Texas A&M at the 2009 Midwest Region:
WOMEN - Aggie entrants 100: Porscha Lucas, Elizabeth Adeoti. 200: Lucas, Duncan, Khrystal Carter. 400: Jessica Beard. 5000: Christina Munoz. 100 Hurdles: Vashti Thomas, Mayo. 4x100: Adeoti, Carter, Duncan, Allison George, Lucas, Mayo. 4x400: Beard, George, Lucas, Sandy Wooten. Pole Vault: Jennifer Davidson. Long Jump: Ashika Charan. Triple Jump: Yasmine Regis, Charan, V. Thomas, Angela Thomas. Discus: Anteneshia Lindsey, Deidre Tarver. Javelin: Asimakis, Hillary Pustka, Hali Henderson.
MEN - Aggie entrants 100: Gerald Phiri. 200: Chris Dykes, Phiri. 400: Justin Oliver, Bryan Miller. Steeple: Kevin McNab. 110 Hurdles: De'Lon Isom. 4x100: Morquise Cleveland, Miller. 4x400: Howell, Miller, Kyle Dykhuizen, Oliver, Michael Preble, Joey Roberts. High Jump: Seth Lowery. Long Jump: Trinity Otto. Triple Jump: Reid, Stewart, Zuheir Sharif, Melvin Echard, Hall. Shot Put: Nick Cook. Javelin: Chad Brown.