Four Bulldogs Prepare For the Track & Field NCAA Championships
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Four Mississippi State track and field athletes will make their way to Fayetteville to compete for the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships on Friday and Saturday.
“This has been the goal all season for these athletes,” MSU coach Steve Dudley said. “Making it to nationals means these athletes at MSU are among the best in the nation. I’m so proud of them and hopefully we will bring back champions.”
Three members of the women’s team, Erica Bougard, Ebony Brinker and Rhianwedd Price will represent MSU. On the men’s side will be reigning indoor and outdoor 800m National Champion Brandon McBride.
McBride, who is currently on the watch list for The Bowerman Trophy, ran a time of 1:48.17 to claim last year’s 800m National Champion title and set the MSU school record at the time. This season McBride has since broken that record with a time of 1:46.80 earlier this season at the Spire Invitational. This time is currently the third best time in the nation.
For senior Bougard, this will be her fourth year in a row to compete at nationals in the pentathlon. During her sophomore year, Bougard claimed the Pentathlon National Champion title after scoring 4,399 points. She returned to the championships her junior year where she finished second with 4,586 points, the second highest score in the pentathlon in NCAA Indoor Championship history and the current MSU school record.
Bougard will also be competing in the 60m hurdles, which she broke the MSU school record in at the SEC Championships after running a time of 8.03. This is the currently the third best time in the nation. Bougard’s third event she will be partaking in is the long jump. Her season-best leap of 21-00.00 came at the Armory Invite and is the ninth best jump in the nation going into the championships.
In the triple jump, Brinker tied her personal-best of 42-04.25 at the SEC Championships, which is also the MSU school record. Her leap is the 17th best in the nation. This will be Brinker’s first appearance in the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Distance runner Price will be making her first appearance at the NCAA Indoor Championships as well. Price ran a personal-best of 4:32.74 in the mile two weeks ago at the SEC Championships. Her time ranks second in the MSU school record books, and seventh nationally.
The championships will be held on March 13 and 14 at the Randal Tyson Track Center. ESPN3 will stream the meet live on both days at 6 p.m. CT. There will also be a tape delay of the championships that will air on March 23 at 6 p.m.
MSU will start the championships with Price in the mile run at 6 p.m. on Friday. Saturday’s action will kick off with Bougard in the pentathlon at 11:30 a.m.
For more information on the MSU track and field teams visit HailState.com or follow on Twitter (@HailStateTF).
Times of MSU Events (Times in CT):
Friday, March 13
Mile Run – 6 p.m.
60m Hurdles – 6:30 p.m.
800m Run – 7:55 p.m.
Saturday, March 14
Pentathlon – 11:30 a.m.
Triple Jump – 6 p.m.
Mile Run Finals – 6 p.m.
60m Hurdles Finals – 6:20 p.m.
800m Run Finals – 7:30 p.m.