KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, IND. - Three members of the Indiana State track & field team will be competing this weekend in Nampa, Idaho, after being selected to participate in the 2012 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Senior Nicole Hope, junior Felisha Johnson, and junior Brandon Pounds were extended invitations to compete this weekend.
"I am excited to be sending three quality individuals to compete for Indiana state at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships," Angela Martin, Indiana State track & field coach, said. "We have established a great tradition of athletes qualifying for this event and they have all brought honor to the Blue and White."
The NCAA Indoor Championships will be contested in the Jacksons Indoor Track on the campus of Boise State University in Nampa, Idaho, on Friday and Saturday. Johnson will be the first Sycamore to compete as she will defend her 2011 National Championship in the women's weight throw starting at 4 p.m. (ET). All three ISU competitors will be in action on Saturday. Pounds opens up for the Sycamores at 6 p.m. (ET) in the men's weight throw with Hope going in the women's pole vault starting at 7 p.m. (ET), and Johnson wrapping up competition in the women's shot out starting at 9 p.m. (ET).
Johnson set the Indiana State record at 74-feet-5¾-inches in winning the championship a year ago. She will enter the competition ranked second in the nation with a season best effort of 71-feet-1¼-inches. The junior was also ranked second a year ago.
"One of the great things about the NCAAs is that they provide all the implements for the competition," Martin said. "That really makes for exciting competition and I think that Felisha has a good chance to defend her title. She busted one early a year ago and it held up. She and her coach (Erin Gilreath) have worked hard and I believe she has another big one in her this indoor season."
Johnson will double for the first time in her indoor Indiana State career as she also qualified in the shot put. She set the Indiana State record at 55-feet-5¾-inches with a third place finish at the MVC Indoor Championships and will enter the 2012 NCAAs ranked 10th in the nation.
"Shot put is really her favorite event and I am excited that she has the opportunity to compete in the event at the NCAAs," Martin said.
Hope carries on a great tradition of Sycamore pole vaulters to advance to the NCAA indoors. A total of 19 women were chosen to compete at the NCAAs with Hope tied for 12th nationally with a personal best vault of 13-feet-11-inches she cleared in winning the MVC Indoor Championship last month.
"The number of athletes chosen to compete in this event shows just how intense the competition will be," Martin said. "Nicole and her coach (Jeff Martin) have been working hard to prepare for this competition. I think Nicole has an excellent chance of placing high."
Pounds will be competing in his first NCAA Indoors in the men's weight throw after posting the 10th best distance in the nation with a school record distance of 70-feet-8½-inches at the EIU Friday Night Special in February.
"Brandon has worked very hard to overcome the hand injury that kept him out of competition last year," Martin said. "He has improved every week and I am really excited to see him compete at the NCAAs."
Several other Sycamores will miss the NCAA Indoors including one that had to withdraw from the competition after automatically qualifying earlier this season. Senior Major Clay automatically qualified for the NCAA Indoors with a school record high jump of 7-feet-5-inches at the EIU Friday Night Special but suffered an injury at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships that will keep him out of competition indefinitely.
"He still has the outdoor season and a chance to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team this summer," Martin said. "He really wanted to compete but there just wasn't enough time for him to recover from the injury."
Two other Sycamores who were on the bubble will also have to wait for the outdoor season including sophomore Greggmar Swift and senior Ernest Rollins.
Swift entered the weekend ranked 15th in the nation but dropped to 16th after the Final Qualifier's. The sophomore had a season best time of 7.77 with the NCAA accepting entries with a time of 7.76 and faster, making Swift the first one out of the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Another Sycamore who came close to receiving a bid was Rollins who went into the weekend ranked 25th in the men's triple jump. The NCAA accepted 17 into the field with a distance of 51-feet-9-inches or better. Rollins season and personal best was 51-feet-1¾-inches at the Meyo Invitational.
"These two competed well throughout the season and certainly deserved a chance to compete at the NCAAs," Martin said. "I think they will use this as an incentive during the outdoor season."
