Aug. 17, 2009
BERLIN, GERMANY - Only one athlete with ties to the Texas A&M track and field program competed Monday, the third day of the IAAF World Championships. Muna Lee, a volunteer assistant with the Aggies, placed fifth in the 100 meter semifinals with a time of 11.18 seconds.
The top four finishers from each heat advanced to Monday's final and Lee just missed fourth place by 0.02 of a second as Jamaica's Aleen Bailey ran 11.16 for that final position in the final.
Lee will contest the 200 meters next, starting on Wednesday morning. She is also part of the 4 x 100 relay pool for Team USA.
In the women's 100 final Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser held off Jamaican teammate Kerron Stewart for a 10.73 - 10.75 victory, setting a world leading time for 2009 as well as claiming the Jamaican national record from legend Merlene Ottey, who set the mark of 10.74 in 1996. U.S. champion Carmelita Jeter earned bronze with a 10.90 clocking.
Tuesday's morning session at the 1936 Olympic Stadium will feature Gerald Phiri returning to the track for the first round of the men's 200 meters. He will be joined by A&M volunteer assistant Wallace Spearmon. Also in action is incoming Aggie junior Tabarie Henry, running for U.S. Virgin Islands in the 400.
With nine heats of the 200, Phiri is set to run in lane 7 of heat 3, while Spearmon is in lane 2 of heat 9. The top three in each heat plus the next five fastest times advance to the quarterfinals on Tuesday evening. Henry runs in lane 5 of heat 7 in the 400, where the top three finishers in each of the seven heats plus the next three fastest times advance to the semifinals.