KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
BLOOMINGTON, IND. ? Indiana State junior Major Clay and sophomore Felisha Johnson earned a spot at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship finals during the first day of the East Preliminary Round which is being held at the Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex on the campus of Indiana University.
“We are very excited that Clay has qualified for the outdoor championships once again,” John McNichols, Indiana State men's track & field coach, said. “We have a full day tomorrow and it is our hope that we can get a few more of his teammates to the finals.”
Johnson placed fourth in the women's hammer throw with the fourth best throw of the day as she went 199'-8” (60.85 meters). Virginia Tech senior Dorotea Habazin had a throw of 221'-6” (67.51 meters) to win the event with Western Kentucky senior Laura Iguane going 209'-8” (63.90 meters) for second and Georgia junior Nikola Lomnicka third at 206'-3” (62.88 meters).
Indiana State senior Kelsey Hanley tied for 18th with a throw of 183'-8” (55.99 meters). The top 12 in each event advance to the NCAA Finals with LSU junior Brieanna Kennedy the last to advance with a throw of 191'-3” (58.30 meters).
Hanley holds the Indiana State record for the women's hammer throw at 205'-4” (62.58 meters) which she threw at the 2011 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Sycamore senior was 22nd in the hammer at the East Preliminary Round last year. Johnson has the fourth best hammer throw in school history with a distance of 200'-7” (61.14 meters) at the 2011 Tom Botts Invitational.
Sycamore junior Major Clay cleared 7'-0.25” (2.14 meters) to advance in the men's high jump. Clay was clean throughout the day as he cleared the first three heights enroute to earning a spot in the NCAA Championship finals. Seven individuals cleared 7'-1.5” (2.17 meters) to advance while Clay was among seven athletes who cleared 7'-0.25”.
Clay will be competing in the NCAA Finals for the third straight year. He earned All-American recognition in the high jump last year as he placed 11th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships after a fourth place finish in the East Preliminary.
Indiana State freshman Jonathan Jackson competed in the post season for the first time in his Sycamore career as he finished 41st in the men's 400 meter hurdle preliminaries with a time of 53.93. The top 24 individuals advanced to the second round which will be held on Saturday. Delaware State junior Leslie Murray had the fastest time at 50.23 while North Carolina freshman Roy Smith was the last qualifier with a time of 52.58.
“This was a great experience for the young freshman,” McNichols said. “He was the last man in at 48th and certainly improved upon that during the competition. We are really looking forward to the next three years with him on our hurdles team.”
Sycamore junior Jeremiah Vaughan competed in the men's 1500 meter preliminaries and finished 42nd overall with a time of 3:56.03. Butler senior Kris Gauson had the fastest time of the preliminaries at 3:48.38 with LaSalle sophomore Nick Crits the final qualifier at 24th in 3:50.59.
This was Vaughan's first trip to the post season. He has earned All-Conference recognition three times in the 1500 meters after finishing second in the 2009 and 2010 MVC Outdoor Championships and was third this year. He ran the second fastest 1500 meters in school history of 3:46.03 at the Indiana Invitational.
Junior Nicole Hope and sophomore Richelle Kimble competed in the women's pole vault with Hope clearing the opening height of 12'-1.5” (3.70 meters) on her third attempt to finish a tie for 24th while Kimble failed to clear the height. Hope came close to clearing the second height at 12'-7.5” (3.85 meters) but just nicked the bar on each of her attempts.
Although this was Hope's first post season appearance as a Sycamore, she is no stranger to national competition as she qualified for the 2010 NCAA Division III Indoor and Outdoor Championships while a student-athlete at Ohio Northern University. She has been the top vaulter for the Sycamores since transferring to Indiana State and won the 2011 MVC Outdoor Championship. She has the second best outdoor vault in ISU history of 13'-1.5” (4.00 meters) which she has cleared twice this season with the last coming at the Billy Hayes Invitational.
Kimble tied for second at both the MVC Indoor and Outdoor Championships during her second season as a Sycamore. She has ISU's fourth best outdoor vault after she cleared a personal best 12'-8” (3.86 meters) during the EIU Big Blue Classic. This was her first appearance in the post season.
Six ISU athletes will compete on Friday with Johnson returning to compete in the women's shot put starting at 1 p.m. Freshman Greggmar Swift and senior Michael Roberts run in the 110 hurdle preliminaries at 5 p.m. with junior Ernest Rollins going in the men's triple jump at 6 p.m., junior Andrew Stull in the men's 200 meter preliminaries at 8 p.m., and senior Michael Disher in the men's 3000 meter steeplechase at 9:10 p.m.
The final day of competition begins at 11 a.m. Saturday with Hanley returning to compete in the women's discus. The finals of the men's 1500 meters will be run at 6:45 p.m., the finals of the men's 110 high hurdles at 7:20 p.m., and the finals of the men's 200 meters at 7:50 p.m.
