KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Indiana State junior Brandon Pounds missed the 2011 outdoor season with a hand injury but has made up for lost time, qualifying for the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Drake University with a fifth place finish in the men's hammer throw at the NCAA East Preliminary Friday.

“It's just a little exciting,” Pounds said. “I had a real good series. I was throwing better and it became smoother as the day went on.”

Pounds is the school record holder for the men's hammer throw and posted the second best distance of his ISU career when he sent the hammer 213-feet (64.94 meters) on his fifth attempt. The junior set the ISU record with a throw of 214-feet-4-inches (65.34 meters) at the Auburn Tiger Track Classic earlier this season.

“He did so fantastic,” Erin Gilreath, Indiana State assistant coach in charge of the throws, said. “He is just a tremendous athlete. I could feel that he was getting better and stronger as the competition went along.”

Another Sycamore junior had a career best effort during today's early action but just missed advancing to the NCAA Finals. Richelle Kimble cleared 13-feet-3½-inches (4.05 meters) which moved her into the top 16. The junior had a couple of good attempts at 13-feet-5¼-inches (4.10 meters) which would have guaranteed her a spot at Drake. However, she just nicked the bar on both attempts and finished tied for 14th.

“Richelle had a grueling two hour and 45 minute competition,” Angela Martin, Indiana State women's track & field coach, said. “She was steady and just missed a shot to Drake. I am proud of the work she has put in this year. It was her best finish at the preliminaries so far.”

Pounds is the third member of the throwing group at Indiana State that has advanced to compete in the NCAA Finals. Sycamore juniors Felisha Johnson and Mary Theisen both advanced in the women's shot put as Johnson placed fifth (56-feet-2-inches) and Theisen ninth (52-feet-3¾-inches) in the competition Thursday.

Friday's competition continues for Indiana State with Johnson and Theisen returning to compete in the women's discus which is currently underway Ernest Rollins has a date with the triple jump at 4:30 p.m. (ET) while Greggmar Swift and Maurice Lyke run in the 110 meter hurdle prelims at 5 p.m. The women's 800 meter quarterfinals featuring ISU's Leeann Michl will run at 7:15 p.m. with Stacia Weatherford going in the 400 meter hurdle quarterfinals at 7:45 p.m.

Dustin Betz wraps up competition for ISU on Friday as he competes in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at 8:50 p.m.

Johnson returns to compete in her third event of the NCAA prelims, the women's hammer, at 2 p.m. Saturday with Major Clay and Jonathon Christensen going in the men's high jump at 5 p.m. The quarterfinals of the men's 1,500 meter run will go off at 6:30 p.m. with the quarterfinals of the 110 meter hurdles set for 7:05 p.m.