May 25, 2010
AUSTIN - Texas A&M's title defense of its dual team titles they claimed at the NCAA Championships a year ago will be strong in number as the Aggies qualified 40 athletes, 21 women and 19 men, to the 2010 Championship field.
The first two preliminary rounds of the NCAA meet will be held from Thursday to Saturday in Austin at Mike A. Myers Stadium. A field of 48 entries per event, with 24 teams in the relay events, will comprise the West Region. From that group of athletes field sizes will be trimmed down to 12 athletes who will compete in Eugene, Oregon, from June 9-12.
"We take it meet by meet, but this one is the national championship," Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry said. "That says a little something different to each athlete. Helping them understand the importance of this meet in terms of advancement through rounds is key and will carry over to the following meet in Eugene. The whole idea in the athlete's mind is that this is the national championship."
Texas A&M already has two athletes qualified to compete in Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus as multi-event competitions bypass the region site. Trinity Otto, who placed seventh at the NCAA meet last June, qualified in the decathlon and Daphne Fitzpatrick qualified for the heptathlon. Both recently finished third at the Big 12 Championships.
Qualifying rounds in the field events begin at noon each day in Austin while running event prelims start at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, 4:30 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday. Live streaming of the meet is available through the www.texassports.com website.
An all-session ticket covering the three days of the meet is $25 for adults and $15 for students and senior citizens. Single session tickets are $10 and $7. Tickets can be purchased through TexasBoxOffice.com or by calling 512-471-3333. Tickets will go on sale at Myers Stadium starting at 10 a.m. each day of competition.
"Our team has done a good job at the Texas venue," noted Henry. "Any time we are in Austin we seem to do very well. From that standpoint it's nice to go to a venue that's relatively close. It's the closest place to home that our athletes get to compete during the outdoor season and it's the closest place where our fans can see us compete."
Headlining the group of Aggies in the NCAA Championships are four individuals and three relays that currently top the descending order list among West region entries. With the top 12 advancing from Austin to Eugene, A&M enters the NCAA West preliminary rounds with 30 entries among the top 10 in their respective events.
"Numbers are important, but they're not critical," Henry said. "It's the quality of people who do advance.
"If you look at the teams they are saying are going to be competitive at the NCAA Championships, which is a little subjective, we've competed against almost every school in that top group. We think we have the experience to compete at this level and to be competitive at the next meet."
Aggie event leaders include: Curtis Mitchell (20.46) in the 200, Zuheir Sharif (54-3.25) in the triple jump. A&M tops the field in three of the four relays with the men posting times of 39.08 in the 4 x 100 and 3:01.55 in the 4 x 400 while the women have the world-leading mark of 42.56 in the sprint relay and the second-fastest region time in the 4 x 400 with a 3:31.79.
In the 100 meters a pair of Aggie sprinters, Gerald Phiri (10.13) and Gabby Mayo (11.13), possess the fastest wind-legal times for the West region. Mayo matched her career best time in winning a second Texas Relays title at Myers Stadium in April. Phiri matched his career best, also the national record for Zambia, in winning a third consecutive Big 12 title.
Sprint, hurdles and jumping events are areas where Texas A&M has a majority of its multiple entries.
In the 100 hurdles Ruddock leads a trio of Aggies who rank 1-3-4 in the West Region. Donique' Flemings (59.47). The A&M men will have De'Lon Isom (14.23) in the 110 hurdles.
Defending NCAA 200 champ Porscha Lucas (22.72) is second only to teammate Tarmoh in the 200 field that also includes Elizabeth Adeoti (11.83) join Mayo in the 100 field where A&M ranks 2-3-7-14.
An NCAA runner-up twice last season, Jessica Beard led the collegiate list for a majority of the outdoor season with a 51.64 clocking. She is currently second collegiately behind a 50.76 from Oregon's Keisha Baker.
On the men's side the Aggies will offer a 1-2 punch of Phiri and Mitchell in the 100 and 200. In the 400, A&M will have six entries, four of which rank among the top 10 in the West region at 2-7-9-10.
Kyle Dykhuizen (47.20).
Four A&M female jumpers will occupy seven places in the long and triple jump events. Sasha-Kay Matthias (42-5.5). Thomas leads the crew in the long jump with a windy 20-10.5 with Matthias (20.9.75) and Charan (19-11) also in the field.
The Aggie men will have four jumpers in six positions for the long and triple jump. Melvin Echard (26-0.25w / 51-9.75) and Tyron Stewart (25-8 / 53-6.5) will compete in both jumps and Julian Reid (24-9.75) is in the long jump. While Sharif tops the West region in the triple jump Stewart ranks fourth in the triple jump and is sixth in the long jump.
Five throwers qualified for the NCAA field. Leading this group is undefeated Hillary Pustka (160-9) have qualified for the women's javelin field. Deidre Tarver (177-6) will compete in the women's hammer.
In middle distance and distance events the Aggies will also have five entries. Christina Munoz (35:03.91) will contest the 10,000 meters, Kevin Burnett (14:08.06) will run the 5,000 meters as the tandem of Joey Roberts (1:49.46) and Oscar Ramirez (1:49.55) compete in the 800.
While they wait for their multi-event weekend in Eugene, Otto (long jump) and Fitzpatrick (high jump) will compete in individual events in Austin.
NCAA West Preliminary Rounds
Following are the Texas A&M qualifiers, with ranking in the West region, for the NCAA Championship field.
WOMEN (21 athletes, 29 places, 2 relays)
100: 2. Gabby Mayo 11.13
3. Jeneba Tarmoh 11.19
7. Porscha Lucas 11.36
14. Dominique Duncan 11.57
47. Elizabeth Adeoti 11.83
200: 1. Jeneba Tarmoh 22.65
2. Porscha Lucas 22.72
9. Dominique Duncan 23.39
400: 2. Jessica Beard 51.64
10,000: 33. Katherine Devlin 34:51.67
41. Catherine Munoz 35:03.91
100H: 1. Natasha Ruddock 12.87
3. Vashti Thomas 13.08
4. Gabby Mayo 13.10
400H: 3. Andrea Sutherland 57.12
18. Donique' Flemings 59.47
4x100: 1. Texas A&M 42.56
4x400: 2. Texas A&M 3:31.79
HJ: 27. Daphne Fitzpatrick 1.75 5-8 ¾
LJ: 12. Vashti Thomas 6.36 20-10 ½w
13. Sasha-Kay Matthias 6.34 20-9 ¾
36. Ashika Charan 6.07 19-11
TJ: =9. Tiffany Peters 13.04 42-9 ½
=9. Ashika Charan 13.04 42-9 ½
11. Vashti Thomas 13.03 42-9
13. Sasha-Kay Matthias 12.94 42-5 ½
SP: 34. Taylor Rosser 14.91 48-11
HT: 46. Deidre Tarver 54.11 177-6
JT: 12. Emalie Humphreys 49.88 163-8
20. Hillary Pustka 49.00 160-9
NCAA Championship (Eugene, Oregon)
Hept: 17. Daphne Fitzpatrick 5,395
MEN (19 athletes, 24 places, 2 relays)
100: 3. Gerald Phiri 10.13
14. Curtis Mitchell 10.37
200: 1. Curtis Mitchell 20.46
3. Gerald Phiri 20.61
400: 2. Tabarie Henry 45.20
7. Demetrius Pinder 45.89
9. Bryan Miller 45.96
10. Tran Howell 46.06
27. Michael Preble 46.90
37. Kyle Dykhuizen 47.20
800: 26. Joey Roberts 1:49.46
30. Oscar Ramirez 1:49.55
5000: 35. Kevin Burnett 14:08.06
110H: 31. De'Lon Isom 14.23
4x100: 1. Texas A&M 39.08
4x400: 1. Texas A&M 3:01.55
LJ: 4. Melvin Echard 7.93 26-0 ¼w
6. Tyron Stewart 7.82 25-8
21. Julian Reid 7.56 24-9 ¾
45. Trinity Otto 7.37 24-2 ¼
TJ: 1. Zuheir Sharif 16.54 54-3 ¼
4. Tyron Stewart 16.32 53-6 ½
13. Melvin Echard 15.79 51-9 ¾
JT: 3. Sam Humphreys 76.71 251-8
28. Jon Gomez 65.25 214-1
NCAA Championship (Eugene, Oregon)
Dec: 8. Trinity Otto 7,542