March 16, 2008

Seminole Men Come Close To Indoor NCAA Title With Second-Place Finish

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - For the second year in a row the Florida State men's track and field team put together a strong performance at the NCAA Indoor Championships, only to come up just short. Arizona State scored 16 points in the final two events on Saturday's (March 15) to edge the Seminoles by three points. The Seminoles finished runner-up with a point total of 41.

"It almost hurts worse that we got close," FSU head coach Bob Braman said. "It almost hurts more because (4x400m relay) ran so well and gave us a chance up until the last race.

"I think this shows that we're not a one-trick pony. We had a great meet. It's one thing to get second and have some ups and downs, it's another thing to get second and have a whale of a meet like we did."

England and Kuijken Win Titles To Push FSU Women's Track and Field To Sixth-Place At NCAAs

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - It's amazing what a couple of determined women can do. With only three athletes in the meet, the Florida State women's track and field team had its best finish in 22 years. Susan Kuijken won the 3000m and Hannah England captured the mile run title to help FSU to a total of 28 points, placing them sixth.

FSU last broke into the top ten with a sixth-place finish in 1986. Only one other time in school history has Florida State had a pair of national champions in the women's meet. Michelle Finn took the 55m and Esmeralda Garcia won the triple jump.

Both distance runners ran nearly identical races, saving a big kick for the final lap that propelled them to victory. They each set a school record with England (Oxford, England) breaking Kuijken's record she set two weeks ago at the ACC Championships with a time of 4:35.30. Kuijken (Nijmegen, Netherlands) reset her own record in the 3000m, lowering it to 8:58.14.


Miami's Krista Simkins Wins National Championship in 400-m Dash

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Miami's Krista Simkins won the NCAA National Title in the indoor 400-meter dash at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday evening.

With her time of 52.16 Simkins becomes the sixth Hurricanes to win a National Championship, the last title went to Tabia Charles in 2006 in the triple jump.

The now two-time All-American won the 400-meters a day after breaking the school record in the event with a time of 51.95.

Simkins won ACC Championships in both the 200 and the 400-meters just two weeks ago in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Miami's Harris Finishes Fourth in Nation in 800-Meters

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Miami's Tim Harris ran a time of 1:49.63 in the 800-meter finals at the University of Arkansas' Randal Tyson Track Center, for a fourth place finish at the NCAA Indoor National Championships.

Head Coach Mike Ward said of Harris'performance, "It was so close at the finish, he was only fractions of a second from winning. I am very proud of Tim."

With the fourth-place finish Harris has become an All-American for the fourth-time, second-most in school history, behind Davian Clark.

North Carolina's Henning And Sossah Break School Records At NCAAs

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Freshman Walter Henning made a great first impression at the NCAA Indoor Championships on Saturday when he finished third in the weight throw in Fayetteville, Ark. Henning's throw of 22.02m (72-3) set a new Carolina indoor mark as he picked up six points for the men's total. Brie Felnagle moved Carolina up the team standings as she finished second in the 3000 en route to setting the second-best mark in school history. The men finished in a tie for 38th, while the women finished 21st.

Henning's the throw, the best of his young career, placed him third in the event after entering with the fifth-best toss of the year. The lone freshman entry in the weight throw fell to a pair of seniors, despite besting Nick Owen's school record throw of 72-2.75 set just a year ago.

On the women's side, Carolina's star distance runner Brie Felnagle was back in action in the 3000. The three-time national champion fell just two seconds shy of claiming her fourth as she took home second. Felnagle was facing a familiar foe in Florida State's Susan Kuijken as the duo would battle from start to finish.

Virginia Tech Women Finish Tied for 10th at NCAA Championships

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Thrower Brittany Pryor and Kelly Phillips helped the 17th-ranked Virginia Tech women's track & field team clinch a 10th-place tie at the NCAA Indoor Championships on Saturday in Randal Tyson Track Center.

Tech earned its highest finish in school history by compiling 16 points during the two-day meet to earn a tie for 10th place in the nation with Big 12 Conference schools, Kansas and Texas Tech. Virginia Tech made a 20-place improvement from last season, where it took 30th place with seven points.

"I'm really excited about how our entire team performed," Director of Track & Field Dave Cianelli said. "We achieved both team goals that we set at the beginning of the season. We won the ACC's and earned a top-10 finish at nationals, so I'm ecstatic about what we were able to do."

Clemson's Travis Padgett Finishes Third at NCAA Indoor Championships in 60m Dash; Tigers 12th as Team

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Clemson junior Travis Padgett finished third in the 60m dash Saturday at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, helping the Tigers to a 12th-place finish as a team. It marks the second straight season Clemson's men's program has claimed a top-15 finish at the indoor national meet. "Our guys did a good job overall," said Bob Pollock, head coach at Clemson in his 20th season. "For us to come out with a 12th-place finish with three guys competing says a lot about the quality of guys we brought."

Padgett will be included on the All-America list, which will be released Sunday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA), by virtue of his third-place showing Saturday night. The Shelby, NC product will now have five All-America honors in his career.

Clemson's Patricia Mamona Finishes 12th in Triple Jump at NCAA Indoors

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Clemson sophomore Patricia Mamona competed in Saturday's triple jump at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and came away with a 12th-place finish. The Lisbon, Portugal native participated in her first-ever NCAA indoor national meet. She previously competed at NCAA Outdoors last season as a freshman in the triple jump.

Mamona hit a mark of 43'0.5", which was good enough for 12th place Saturday. Erica McLain of Stanford won the event with an impressive mark of 46'7.25". Mamona was All-ACC this season in both the triple jump and long jump.

Georgia Tech's Lemons, Jordan Compete on Day Two of NCAA Indoor Championships

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - James Lemons II and Alphonso Jordan competed in the triple jump to lead the Georgia Tech men's track and field team on the second day of the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the University of Arkansas campus.

Lemons, a senior from Atlanta, Ga., placed 10th in the triple jump after finishing with mark of 51 feet, 6 ¼ inches. Lemons mark was over a foot below his season-best jump of 52 feet, 8 ¼ inches, which he set at the Clemson Invitational.

Jordan, a sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., finished 15th in the triple jump at the championship meet with a mark of 49 feet, 8 ¼ inches. His mark was below his best jump of 52 feet, 4 ¾ inches set at the VT Elite meet earlier this season.