Texas A&M
NCAA Championships
Texas A&M breaks 20-year-old Collegiate Record in 4 x 100
Jun 13, 2009 | Track and Field
June 13, 2009
Fayetteville, Arkansas - NOTE: Saturdays action starts at noon for the Aggies. TV coverage will move to CBS and will be live from noon to 2 p.m.
Texas A&M women's 4 x 100 relay crushed the 20-year-old collegiate record in the 4 x 100 with a world-leading time of 42.36 seconds to kick off track finals on the third day of the NCAA Championships hosted at John McDonnell Field at the University of Arkansas.
The previous record of 42.50 was set by LSU at altitude during the 1989 NCAA Championships in Provo, Utah. Texas A&M coach Pat Henry was head coach of LSU when that mark was set.
"To run that fast, it's a tremendous effort," Henry said. "When we ran 42.50 we ran it at BYU at altitude. When you look at this one, it's pretty darn good.
"It's a tremendous run by those ladies tonight. Assistant coach Allison George and we have a freshman, Dominique Duncan, step in and she's done a great job."
Running the foursome of junior Khrystal Carter, junior Porscha Lucas, freahman Dominique Duncan and sophomore Gabby Mayo the Aggies picked up 10 points for the victory and broke the Aggie school record of 42.59 set in winning the 2008 NCAA title.
"As important as that race is, I think it's just as important to note that all four are back next season," stated Henry. "All four of those ladies are underclassmen. We're very pleased with that."
Florida State was well back in second with a 43.33 while South Carolina finished third in 43.41. Big 12 foes Oklahoma (43.58) and Baylor (43.77) placed fourth and fifth. LSU did not finish the race.
"At first I couldn't see the time because I was at the 200 start," Lucas said. "Then I was looking and I saw 42.36 and I ran another 150 meters to reach the rest of the team. I already ran one 150 getting the baton to Dominique. I was really excited. It's taken us three years to do it.
"I'm happy to have put in my effort and hard work on three national championships in the 4x1."
Carter added: ""That was so exciting. We kept talking about the record, so we were just going for it. That's all we were thinking about. I was ecstatic when I saw the time. I don't know if anybody saw me clapping my hands and acting crazy. I'm just so excited."
The Texas A&M win marks the 15th consecutive victory in postseason races over the past three years. This is also the Aggies third consecutive NCAA championship in this event. The winning time of 42.36 is the current World and American leader for 2009.
"It wonderful, but everyone of them is hard," A&M assistant Coach Anderson said. "Each one feels new and fresh, because you work anew to get it.
"On a side note, we thought we would set the collegiate record last year. I thought our run in Des Moines would have been a collegiate record if conditions supported it. It was an incredibly windy day and I thought it knocked us back a little bit, at least enough to keep up away from the CR.
"But today it was completely still and we were on a wonderful facility, of course. With it being so still it was perfect conditions to run a 4 x 100. We're so grateful we had the where withal to hit our marks."
More points flowed in for the Aggie women in the 100 final as Lucas placed fourth in 11.31 and Mayo claimed fifth in 11.35. Those nine points added to the relay win have A&M with 19 points going into the final day.
Projections have Texas A&M totaling 50 points while Oregon is slated to finish with 44, same as Florida State.
Women's team scores after three days of competition, which includes 13 finals: 1. Oregon 39; 2. USC 21; 3. tie, Arizona State, Florida State & Texas 20; 6. Texas A&M 19; 7. tie, Florida & Illinois, 18; 9, UCLA 15; 10. Washington 14.
In the men's 4 x 100 the Aggies placed third originally with a 38.73, but were disqualified for passing the baton outside of the 20-meter zone on the last exchange.
Florida won the race in 38.58 with LSU trailing in second at 38.67. Moving into third place via the A&M dq was Clemson with a 38.77.
"Our men broke a 20-year-old school record in the prelims, but in the final we didn't get the stick around, we ran out of the zone on the anchor leg," Henry noted. "We still ran 38.73, which would have been our second fastest time this season.
"We run out of the end of the final zone a little bit, we have to stop and Justin Oliver does a great job of regrouping. It's tough to lose a relay like that. We still ran faster than any collegiate team did this year at 38.51. It's just that you come to win this meet.
"On top of that it's a 10-point swing for us on the men's side in team scoring. The relays are definitely a tough part of track and field, but that's why I love it so much. It's what makes it so exciting here tonight to watch those things happen."
Gerald Phiri also picked up six points in the men's 100 final placing third in 10.18 behind a 10.00 for LSU's Trindon Holliday and a 10.10 for USC's Ahmad Rashad.
The Aggie men have 13 points going into Saturday's action and are in 12th place. They are projected to score a total of 44 points for second place in the team title chase behind Oregon's 46.
Current team scores through 13 finals have Oregon leading with 36 points followed by 2. LSU 30; 3. USC 22; 4. Florida 21; 5. Georgia 19; 6. South Carolina 18.5; 7. tie, Arizona State & Arkansas, 18; 9. tie, Kansas State & BYU, 16.
Good news for the men came in the triple jump where four Aggies advanced to the final. Zuheir Sharif and Julian Reid each surpassed the auto qualifier of 16.30, while Tyron Stewart and Melvin Echard earned a position by finishing seventh and 12th in qualifying.
Sharif led the qualifying group with a personal best of 54-4 (16.56) while Reid was third with a 53-7 (16.33). Stewart hit a mark of 52-10.25 (16.11) while Echard mustered a 52-0.5 (15.86) on his final attempt.
More qualifying races sent Mayo and Justin Oliver just missed out.
Mayo won the second semi in 13.04 while Thomas placed fourth in the first semi with a 13.31 clocking. Isom finished fifth in the second semi, but his 13.84 was shy of the 13.81 that represented the last time qualifier.
Beard ran comfortable in the 400 semifinal, placing second in 51.76. Bryan Miller battled to a fourth place finish in the second semi, running 45.88. Oliver was fifth in the same race with a 45.96. However, a 45.84 from the first heat was the last qualifier on time.
In women's triple jump qualifying Yasmine Regis advanced to the final with a mark of 44-1.25 (13.44). She was second best in her flight and fourth overall.
Two other Aggies, Angela Thomas and Ashika Charan placed 18th with a leap of 42-1.5 (12.84).
Laura Asimakis finished 12th in the javelin final with a mark of 158-0 (48.16).
ADDITIONAL 4 x 100 RELAY QUOTES:
Dominique Duncan: "It was outstanding. From 51s at Wheatley High School to 42.3 and breaking everybody's record, it's a lot different. I'm used to be the only one, now I'm officially on a team full of champions. That's where I want to be.
"This means so much to me since I'm a freshman. Before coming to A&M I've never run the third leg before. It was kind of weird for me, but coach picked me, as a freshman, to run the curve. It must be something with my grandfather (Clyde Duncan, Sr.), something in the genes. I was just happy to be on the relay as a freshman.
Gabby Mayo: "I had now idea how fast we were going. I especially didn't know we were going that fast. I'm happy that we got the baton around.
"We were hoping to break the record. I'm happy we did it and I know my teammates are happy."
Players Mentioned
