TERRE HAUTE, Ind. ? After a highly competitive weekend of last chance meets all around the country, the field for the 2008 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., was set on Monday night and Indiana State sophomore standouts Kylie Hutson and Erica Moore have qualified for the meet to be held March 14-15 at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
ISU women's head coach John Gartland was happy to hear that both of his student-athletes had made the final field.
“I'm delighted that both of our outstanding sophomore student-athletes have qualified for the NCAA meet this weekend,” said Gartland. “Both Kylie and Erica have had outstanding indoor seasons and have put in the necessary work to achieve their goals. The goal for both heading in is to be named an All-American in their respective events, and they can both realistically do that based on their seeds.”
For Hutson, it will be her third appearance at an NCAA championship, after qualifying in the pole vault for both the indoor and outdoor championships last season. The Terre Haute, Ind., native is tied for eighth-best mark in the country with her school-record mark of 13'07.75 (4.16 meters) heading into the meet with a highly-competitive field. Last weekend, Hutson repeated as the indoor champion in the pole vault at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships with a height of 12'11.50. However, she set her qualifying mark in the final event of the second day of competition at the Iowa State Track and Field Classic on Feb. 15, besting the mark she set the week before at the Meyo Invitational.
“Kylie is off to an outstanding start to her career at Indiana State, with this being her third NCAA appearance in three tries,” said Gartland. “I really think that experience is going to help her immensely in what looks to be a very close and competitive field based on the qualifying marks headed into the meet.”
Moore had to wait a bit longer to achieve her qualifying mark, as she took advantage of last weekend's ?last chance' meet at the Alex Wilson Invitational. The Sullivan, Ind., native was not originally scheduled to compete in the meet in order to rest, but was pulled into action on Saturday in the 800 meter race after her NCAA provisional qualifying time in the pentathlon dropped out of contention. The MVC indoor champion in the 400 meter dash then traveled to Notre Dame late on Friday night and had to run in a borrowed uniform from one of her male teammates, but she posted a blistering time of 2:05.77 to set a new Indiana State and Missouri Valley Conference record in the event.
“Erica will be making her first appearance in an NCAA meet, after two close calls last season,” said Gartland. “Erica really did yeomen's work for the team during the indoor season, running well in several events including provisionally qualifying in the pentathlon. Even though it was a quick decision to run her last weekend, it turned out to be the right one and I think Erica will be ready to compete with the best in the country this weekend.”
Moore will take the track in Friday's 800 meter prelims, beginning at approximately 5:30 p.m. EST, looking to advance to Saturday's finals in the event at 7:45 p.m. Hutson will try to jump her way to a top-eight finish on Saturday, with the pole vault set to take place at 6:00 p.m.
