MSU Track Heads To Missouri For 2007 Mideast Regional
State has 12 individuals and two relay teams that vie for bids to the NCAA Championships this weekend. MState seniors Travis McKay and Jennifer McPherson will pull double-duty along with sophomore Marrissa Harris this weekend by qualifying for two separate events at the NCAA Regional. McKay, will be in the field for the men's 1500-meter run and the 3000-meter steeplechase. He is coming off a fourth-place finish in the steeplechase at the 2007 Southeastern Conference Track and Field Championships two weeks ago. McPherson will compete in the 800 and 1500-meter runs at the two-day event. The Nampa, Idaho-product will be looking for her second-straight appearance at the national meet in June. In her last outing, McPherson placed fourth in the 1500-meter run at the SEC Championships. Harris is slated for competition in the 100-meter hurdles and the long jump. In the hurdles, the Memphis, Tenn.-native turned in a time of 13.71 to advance to this weekend's postseason activity. She ranks 15th in the region in the long jump with a clearance of 20 feet, one and a half inches and will look for a bid the national meet.
MSU's Golden Coachman, who set the school record in the 800-meter run at SEC meet, comes into the meet with the fourth-best time in the nation with his one minute, 47.40 second mark at the SEC Championship. He will be joined by teammate Chris Woods in the two-lap event. Woods has a 1:49.25 qualifying mark which was set at the Auburn Invitational. In the 400-meter run, the Bulldogs will be represented by seniors Arthur Davis and Bruce Davis. A. Davis ranks eighth in the Mideast region with a mark of 46.37 in the event. Juniors Delandus O'Neal and Kyle Roberts are slated to run in the 400-meter hurdles.
Other State women competing this weekend include field competitors Nicola Wilson in the shot put and Christina Hernandez in the discus. Wilson scored a qualifying mark of 49-07 ½ at the Georgia Relays.
For updates and live results from the NCAA Mideast Regional, log on to www.MUTigers.com.