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Flyin' Frog relay squads advance to NCAA finals
Four TCU tracksters hope to continue their season Thursday, while men's 4x100 relay team aims for a medal.
June 8, 2006
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Flyin' Frogs capped off an intense day of competition Thursday at the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, held at the A.G. Spanos Sports Complex on the campus of Sacramento State. TCU gave a hard-fought battle in the individual events, and used season-best performances in the men's and women's 4x400 relays to advance to the event final on Saturday, June 10. Che Chavez led off in the men's 4x400 quartet and gave the Frogs a slight advantage at the first baton exchange. TCU found itself trailing in the next two rotations, but senior Lewis Banda gained ground down the stretch and passed up Oregon for the win. The Flyin' Frog men, which also included Delwayne Delaney and Jackson Langat, turned in a season-best time of 3:04.54. In the women's 4x400 relay race, TCU had a season-best performance from its foursome of Deborah Jones, Marquita Davis, Kishelle Paul and Nathandra John. The women notched the final qualifying spot with a 3:32.06 time. Last year, TCU sent its women's 4x400 relay team to the national meet for the first time in school history. The quartet's return to the NCAA this season marks its second straight appearance. After qualifying for the semifinals in the 200 meters in their respective divisions on Wednesday, Otis McDaniel and Virgil Hodge missed the cut-off in the 100 meters late Thursday afternoon. McDaniel ran a 10.70 in the final heat of the men's 100 meters, while Hodge was edge out of the final qualifying spot in the women's 100 meters with a time of 11.46.
Senior Julie Curtis, the lone Frog hurdler at the NCAA meet, was third in her heat of the women's 400-meter hurdles. Her time of 59.72 in the event was two spots shy of a spot for the semifinals. TCU has five Frogs and one relay team slated for competition Thursday with the Frog men positioned to collect the first medal at this year's meet. The 4x1 foursome of Bradley Reed, Justyn Warner, Delwayne Delaney and Otis McDaniel will gear up for the baton exchange in the event finals after posting their season-best time of 39.30 in Wednesday's prelims. Also on the track for TCU will be Nathandra John and Lewis Banda. John earned an automatic qualification to the women's 400-meter semifinals after finishing second in her preliminary heat on Wednesday with a time of 52.32, while Banda won his heat with a 45.62 prelim time two days ago to advance to the second round of the men's 400 meters. McDaniel and Hodge will get another shot at an individual medal in the 200 meters. The two qualified on Wednesday in their respective division, with McDaniel grabbing the final semifinal spot in the prelims with a 21.20 clocking and Hodge finishing with the second-fastest time in her heat (23.00). Sophomore Jonathan Jackson will take to the field for the first time this week as the men's triple jump gets underway at 3 p.m. Pacific time (5 p.m. Central time). Three qualifying field events wrapped up late Wednesday evening, which included the men's discus throw. Freshman Tommy Killen made his first-ever NCAA appearance, tossing 170-05 (51.95m) to place 12th in his flight. For a complete list of results and schedule of the four-day national meet, log on to www.sacsports.com or www.ncaasports.com. 2006 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships TCU Results - Thursday, June 8 MEN WOMEN |
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