TicketsJune 9, 2011
DES MOINES, Iowa - University of Cincinnati junior Terrence Somerville (Akron, Ohio/Butchel) advanced to the finals of the men's 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships after placing first in the second heat of the semifinals Thursday at Drake University.
Somerville - who was running in the fifth lane of the eight-man heat - got off to a slow start after knocking down the first two hurdles but came from behind with four hurdles remaining and finished with a mark of 13.53 seconds, 0.01 seconds ahead of University of Southern California senior Brendan Ames. Somerville earned an automatic bid to the finals by finishing in the top two of the heat.
Somerville's time of 13.53 seconds gives him the No. 6 seed heading into the finals, which is scheduled to begin at 2:16 p.m. ET Saturday. Texas Tech senior Omo Osaghea holds the top seed in the finals after recording a mark of 13.32 seconds in Thursday's first heat.
After Somerville placed in the top eight of the 110m hurdles, Cincinnati now has two student athletes who've earned All-America honors this season. Junior distance runner Kathy Klump (Aurora, Ind./South Dearborn) earned All-America recognition Wednesday after placing 12th in the women's 800-meter run with a school-record time of 2:6.12.
Somerville and junior distance runner Eric Finan (New Richmond, Ohio/New Richmond) both have opportunities to give Cincinnati its first national champion Saturday. Minutes after Somerville competes in the finals of the 110m hurdles, Finan will race in the men's 5,000-meter run at 2:21 p.m. ET.
CBS will broadcast live coverage of Saturday's championship action from 1-3 p.m. ET.