TicketsMay 27, 2011
NCAA Championship Central | Watch Live |
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The University of Cincinnati track and field teams got solid performances from Natasha Burse, Kathy Klump, and Terrence Somerville on Friday (May 27) at the NCAA Championships East Preliminary at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex.
Burse, who moved into the NCAA semifinals of the 100 meter dash with a 23rd-place finish in Thursday's prelims, finished 23rd in the semis on Friday with a time of 11.80. She moved into Saturday's 200 meter semifinals with a 23rd-place 24.12 in the prelims.
Klump advanced to the semis of the 800 meters after a 2:08.17, good for 21st place. In Friday's semifinals, Klump sped to a school-record 2:06.12, which was good for 12th place and a spot in next month's NCAA Championships, which will be held at Drake University. She broke her own school mark of 2:07.15 by over a second.
Somerville, who entered the meet with the 15th-fastest time in the world in 2011 in the 110 hurdles, cruised into the national semis with a 13.92 prelim, good for fourth-fastest in the field.
In Thursday prelims, UC pole vaulters Michelle Eby, Mackenzie Fields, and Sarah Rasnick each failed to clear their initial heights. Sprinter Aricka Rhodes posted a 55.92 in the 400 meters, good for 34th. Friday, Frida Akerstrom placed 43rd in the shot put prelims with a 45' 2-1/4" put and Paris Campbell was 41st in the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.13.
A pair of men's pole vaulters competed in Thursday's semifinals, with Tommy Marks missing on his initial height and Josh Dangel cleared 16' 6-3/4", just nicking the bar at 16' 8-3/4", which likely would have sent him to the finals.
Saturday's action will feature Somerville and Burse in national semifinals as well as the women's 4x100 and 4x400 teams, UC record holder Mary Bridges, Jessica Moylet, and Jake Haseman in the discus, and BIG EAST Champion Eric Finan in the 5000 meters.