State Sends 18 Athletes To Knoxville For NCAA Mideast Regional
The Lady Bulldogs send a record number 10 athletes to this weekend'smeet. Freshman Marrissa Harris (Memphis, Tenn.) is a double-qualifierin the 100-meter hurdles and long jump. Harris shattered the MSU schoolrecord in the100-meter hurdles after winning the SEC Championshipsheptathlon race in 13.52 seconds. The mark also ranks as an MSUfreshman record and the 11th best time posted in the region this season.
Senior high jumper Jasmine Walls (Picayune, Miss.) travels to her firstMideast Regional having posted the sixth-best mark in the region thisseason, clearing 5-10 ¾. The distance trio of senior Zita Magloire(Tallahassee, Fla.) and juniors Jen McPherson (Nampa, Idaho) and JoyGriffith (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) also trek to Knoxville seeking to continuetheir impressive seasons.
Griffith broke the school record in the steeplechase at the PennRelays, running 10:35.31 to post her first regional qualifying timethis year. She posted her second mark at the SEC Championships,finishing third in 10:43.30. Although Magloire and McPherson bothqualified in the 800-meter run, the duo will only compete in the1500-meter run. Magloire ran 4:25.80 at the SEC Championships, whileMcPherson's 4:22.26 is the top time in the SEC this season.
Also competing this weekend is freshman Janelle Finley (Mobile, Ala.).Finley's qualifying mark of 19-11 ¾ in the long is a team best thisseason and ranks as the second-best in school history. Finley's jumpis 16th in the region. After being unable to compete due to injury lastyear, senior Lauren Johnson (Scottsboro, Ala.) qualified this seasonwith a leap of 19-08, a personal best. Another freshman, GabrielleDillon (Liberty, Miss.) ran 23.96 to qualify in the 200-meter dash.
In throws events, junior Christina Hernandez (Asheville, N.C.) seeks toimprove on her qualifying discus throw of 156-00. Junior Nicola Wilson(Trenton, N.J.) looks to do the same in the shot put. Wilson hastallied several regional marks this season, but recorded her best twice-- throwing 50-01 ¾ on two occasions to set an MSU school record in theevent.
In men's action, the Bulldogs send eight individuals and a relay teamto Knoxville. The Bulldogs are most-represented in the 400-meter dash,having five athletes in the event. Junior all-American Arthur Davis(Mobile, Ala.) leads the contention after finishing third in the 400 atthe Jace Lacoste Invitational (46.40). A pair of mid-season transfers-- Bruce Davis and Ezra Jones -- will also compete at their first NCAAregional. Davis, a product of Phenix City, Ala., ran 46.45 to takesecond at the Auburn Invitational, while Jones (Wildwood, Fla.) won theBulldog Invitational title in 46.99. Sophomore all-American ElzieColeman (Newburgh, N.Y.) ran 47.06 in his only open 400 of the seasonat the Auburn Invitational, while junior Nathan Daniels (New Iberia,La.) qualified at the same meet after finishing fourth in 47.03.
After sitting out the 800-meter run finals at the SEC Championships dueto injury, sophomore all-American Chris Woods (Atlanta, Ga.) returns toregionals having posted the fifth-best time in the region, having run1:48.90 in a win at the Bulldog Invitational. Junior Travis McKay(Edmonton, Alberta) returns to the Mideast Regional hoping to improveon his time from a year ago. McKay ran 8:59.42 in a seventh-placefinish in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the SEC Championships. McKay'stime is the second-best in school history. Rounding out the individualcompetitors for MSU is sophomore Tim Williams (Pensacola, Fla.).Williams has posted five wins in seven meets in the high jump.Currently fifth in the region, Williams has cleared his qualifying markof 6-10 ¾ on two occasions.
State's 4x400-meter relay team has boasted eight qualifying marks thisseason, the best coming at the Auburn Invitational. B. Davis, Coleman,A. Davis and Jones clocked 3:05.43 to win the meet title.
At the regional meet last year, junior Steve Mullings captured themen's 100-meter dash title while setting a meet record with his 10.13time in Bloomington, Ind. Former MSU all-American Tiffany McWilliamsowns the women's 800-meter run record after running 2:02.27 in 2004.While MSU has never won a team title in the three-year existence of themeet, three SEC schools hold the six team titles (LSU, Tennessee womenand Arkansas men).
Live results of this weekend's meet are available via the official MSUathletics Web site, www.MStateAthletics.com.