STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Mississippi State All-Americans John Bailey and D’Angelo Cherry are in to Eugene, Ore., this week for the 2009 USA Junior and Senior Outdoor Championships, which begins Thursday.
Bailey is set to compete in the 400-meter dash in the senior division, while Cherry will contest his No. 1 ranking in the 100-meter dash junior division.
“John and D’Angelo have an amazing opportunity ahead of them,” associate head coach Steve Dudley said. “They don’t have to worry about scoring points for the team, it’s all about doing their best and finishing in the Top 4 so the can earn a chance to wear USA colors.”
Cherry, a native of Jonesboro, Ga., is entering the 100-meter dash with a 10.04 second seed time, the No. 1 junior ranking in the country and MSU freshman record. At the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Cherry finished sixth in the 100-meter dash final and was a member of the fifth place 4x100-meter relay team. Cherry earned USTFCCCA All-America accolades in both events.
Bailey, a 2009 MSU graduate from Terry, Miss., is entering the race after a remarkable completion to his MSU career at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Bailey was a member of the MSU record setting 4x100-meter relay team that finished fifth and the 4x400-meter relay team that finished eighth respectively. Bailey enters a 30-plus field of mixed amateur and professional runners with the 15th fastest time.
Bailey’s 400-meter dash preliminary round is set for Thursday at 8:20 p.m., and Cherry’s opening round is Friday at 4:20 p.m. The meet will be televised on ESPN Thursday from 7-9 p.m. and Friday from 6:30 ? 8:30 p.m. NBC will show live coverage of Saturday’s finals from 3-5 p.m.
