Harris, Johnson Provisionally Qualify For National Championships At SEC Championships
Lauren (Johnson) performed really well today. She's been banged upever since she crashed into those hurdles last year. She's stuckthrough this year, said MSU head coach Al Schmidt. Marrissa had somedifficulty in the long jump, but it was a great day for them. I wasreal pleased. We just have to stay positive.
Harris' point total is the second-best in school history, a new MSUfreshman record and qualifies her for the USATF Junior NationalChampionships this summer. She recorded personal bests in the javelinthrow (104 feet, four inches) and 800-meter run (2 minutes, 32.98seconds).
Lauren Johnson (Scottsboro, Ala.) finished fifth in her finalcollegiate heptathlon, accumulating a personal-best 5,029 points, alsoqualifying the senior provisionally for the NCAA nationalchampionships. The total is also the third best in school history. Sherecorded a personal best in the javelin throw (100-11).
In the men's decathlon , sophomore Joseph Queen scored for theBulldogs, finishing sixth with 6,519 points. Queen set personal recordsin the 110-meter hurdles (16.98), pole vault (15-01) and 1500-meter run(4:35.24) to close out day two. Freshman Darryl Brady (Vancleave,Miss.) finished two spots behind Queen in eighth. Brady scored 6,253points after setting personal bests in the 110-meter hurdles (17.46),pole vault (14-01 ¼) and 1500-meter run (4:55.51). The score alsoqualifies Brady for this summer's USATF Junior National Championships.
With three events scored, the Lady Bulldogs are sixth with nine points,while the Bulldogs are tied for eighth with four points.
Junior Jen McPherson ran a regional-qualifying 2:08.51 to finish ninthin the 800-meter relay preliminaries and qualify for Sunday's eventfinal. The time ranks as the fifth-best in the event in school historyand is a personal best for the Nampa, Idaho native. In the men's800-meter run, sophomore all-American Chris Woods (Atlanta, Ga.) tookeighth to qualify for Sunday's final, running 1:51.19.
Junior Nathan Daniels (New Iberia, La.) barely missed qualifying forthe men's 800 meter final, placing 10th with a personal-best 1:51.84.In the women's 200-meter dash, freshman Antrese Banks (Gloster, Miss.)tied her personal best in the event (25.17).
Action resumes Saturday afternoon with the women's discus and long jumppreliminaries and finals beginning at 1 p.m. CT.
Tomorrow will us a lot with the women's 1500-meter preliminaries,Schmidt added. Jen (McPherson) is one of the favorites to win. If wecan get three or four girls in the 1500 finals and with thesteeplechase tomorrow night, we may have a chance to score more pointsthan we've ever scored. We've got a lot of points out there with thewomen, but it's one thing to have it on paper and one thing to get itdone.