Track and FieldMay 29, 2010

Aggies continue to advance more sprinters, hurdlers to NCAA Championships

Another afternoon and evening session of Aggie sprinters and jumpers on the Mike A. Myers track produced a multitude of qualifiers for the semifinals of the NCAA Championships. All four relays joined

May 29, 2010

Complete Results

AUSTIN - Another afternoon and evening session of Aggie sprinters and jumpers on the Mike A. Myers track produced a multitude of qualifiers for the semifinals of the NCAA Championships.

All four relays joined the journey to Eugene, Oregon while Texas A&M added five sprinters in the 200, five jumpers in the triple jump and a pair of hurdlers.

Now the total number of Aggies advancing is 25 athletes (12 men and 13 women) competing in 37 positions spread across 20 events. The A&M men will have 16 places in nine events while the Aggie women total 21 places in 11 events.

Saturday's running session began in the early evening with 4 x 100 relay quarterfinals. Only 24 teams from each region were selected with 12 from each region advancing to Eugene.

Texas A&M posted the top time for the men and women with solid passes. The men won the third of three heats in 39.05. Running in the opening heat the Aggie women lowered their world-leading time to 42.49, the second fastest collegiate time ever.

The A&M men ran with the order of Curtis Mitchell.

The Aggie women cruised to its 17th consecutive postseason victory, dating back to 2007, and 27th straight victory including regular season races, dating back to 2008.

The A&M women ran with the order of Porscha Lucas, Dominique Duncan and Gabby Mayo, which is the same unit that set the previous world-leading time of 42.56 for 2010 in winning the Texas Relays title on this same track back in early April.

Each member of the relay qualified in a second event later in the meet. Mayo was first in running a career best of 12.81 in the 100 hurdles, second fastest in school history. It only trails a 12.74 school record from Anjanette Kirkland at the US Championships in 1997.

Vashti Thomas, already a qualifier in the long jump, added the 100 hurdles with a clocking of 13.21 to place second to Mayo in the same heat and earn an automatic qualifier to Eugene.

In the 200 meters Tarmoh, Lucas and Duncan all qualified while Oregon had a hiccup with Amber Purvis being eliminated with a false start in heat one.

Lucas won the second heat in 22.72, matching Big 12 runner-up time, while Duncan posted a career best of 23.24, which is No. 7 on the A&M all-time list. Then Tarmoh claimed heat three in 22.71, just off her 22.65 PR she won the Big 12 title with two weekends ago.

Mitchell lowered his collegiate leading time in the 200 to 20.23 while Phiri finished second in the same heat with a 20.57. Mitchell remains No. 2 performer at A&M, but now has the No. 4 performance behind Floyd Heard's school record of 19.95 and marks of 20.05 and 20.12.

Along with his 20.27 clocking yesterday, Mitchell has recorded two of the fastest times in Aggie history in the past 23 years.

Mitchell and Tarmoh also broke Myers Stadium record in their 200-meter efforts. Mitchell bettered his 20.27 after taking down a 20.41 set by Darren Campbell in 2001. Tarmoh topped a the 22.72 produced by Lucas in the previous heat after the mark of 22.79, set by Nanceen Perry of Texas in 1999, was taken down.

Tyron Stewart redeemed himself in the triple jump, after three fouls in the long jump on day one, posting the top mark of 54-5.5 (16.60) in the second round. Stewart's career best moves him to the No. 3 performer with the No. 6 performance on the Aggie all-time list.

Stewart had a pair of teammates join him in advancing in the triple jump as Zuheir Sharif produced the second best mark at 53-10.25 (16.41) on his first attempt and Melvin Echard was sixth with a 52-6.5 (16.01). Echard also qualified in the long jump.

A pair of A&M women also qualified in the triple jump with Ashika Charan finishing 11th with a windy 42-8.75 (13.02). Vashti Thomas (41-8.5) placed 19th.

Charan has qualified for the NCAA Championships in the long and triple jump all four years of her career at Texas A&M.

In wrapping up the NCAA West preliminary rounds with the 4 x 400 relays, the Aggie men posted the top time as it's 3:01.89 bettered the first heat by nearly five full seconds. USC (3:03.64) and Baylor (3:04.15) had the next best times as heat winners.

The foursome for A&M included Curtis Mitchell and Tabarie Henry.

The Aggie women followed with a heat winner in 3:32.89 with the foursome of Ashika Charan and Jessica Beard. Oregon posted the top time of 3:30.23, taking over the collegiate leading mark this season. Arkansas won the other heat in 3:31.03.

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS - Eugene, Oregon Aggies who have qualified for the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.

MEN (13 athletes, 7 events, 14 positions, 2 relays)

100: Curtis Mitchell

200: Curtis Mitchell, Gerald Phiri

400: Demetrius Pinder, Tabarie Henry, Byran Miller

4x1: Curtis Mitchell

4x4: Curtis Mitchell, Tabarie Henry

Long Jump: Melvin Echard, Julian Reid

Triple Jump: Zuheir Sharif, Melvin Echard

Javelin: Sam Humphreys

Decathlon: Trinity Otto

WOMEN (13 athletes, 9 events, 19 positions, 2 relays)