Derrick Johnson qualified in the 100 and 200 at N.C. A&T |
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49ers Record Five Regional Qualifications at North Carolina A&T
April 12, 2005
Greensboro, N.C. - The Charlotte 49ers track & field teams split up last weekend, with field and sprint event competitors competing at North Carolina A&T's Murray Neely Invitational. The Niners recorded five more Regional qualifications at the meet, despite high winds.
Tawana Norman was a dual qualifier at the Neely Invitational, recording NCAA Regional marks in the long jump and 100 meter dash. In the long jump, Norman established a new Charlotte record with a distance of 6.07 meters (19-feet, 11-inches). She won that event. Then, in the 100, she moved her name into second place on the school's all-time charts when she clocked a time of 11.69. That is just 0.06 off of the school's best-ever time, and she was second overall. Norman was the top collegiate finisher in the event.
Joining Norman with two qualifications on the men's side was senior All-American Derrick Johnson. "DJ" posted NCAA Regional qualifying times in the 100 and 200 dashes, the two events that he contested at last year's NCAA Outdoor National Championships. In the 100, Johnson won the event with a wind-aided 10.24, which would have been good enough for a new Charlotte record were the winds not so strong. Even so, it qualifies him for the Regionals.
In the 200, Johnson finished third and clocked a 21.10 to qualify. Freshman Jason Moore turned in another notable 200 performance, as he qualified for the USA Track & Field Junior Nationals this summer in Carson, California. Moore ran 21.29.
Adrienne Barnette, who contested the high jump at last year's NCAA Championships, posted the Niners fifth Regional qualification overall while winning that event. She cleared 1.75 meters (5-feet, 9.75-inches) to improve upon her previous season best. Barnette took a crack at a new school record of 5' 10.75", and narrowly missed on her third attempt.
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The women's 200 was run on both Friday and Saturday due to a timing malfunction. Sophomore Shareese Woods, who was last week's Conference USA Female Athlete of the Week, ran a blistering time of 23.48 in very heavy winds. That time would have qualified her for the NCAA Regionals, but winds were over 4.0 mps and the mark will not be allowed for Regional purposes. The NCAA allows winds of up to 2.0 mps. On Friday night, Woods won the event, and then following the malfunction she came from behind to win it again on Saturday. Had the winds not been so strong, the mark would have put her among the top 10 in the nation and would have broken the school's record.
Paris Smith finished first in the 400-meter hurdles with her season-best time, and placed third in the 100-hurdles with another season best.
Karina Murray finished second in the pole vault, while Sarah Morrison was third in that event. Samantha Hines was third in the long jump behind Norman, giving the Niners two of the top three finishers in each of those events.
Brad Bailey won the men's pole vault, and attempted but could not clear a new school record height of 4.61 meters (15-feet, 1.5-inches). His winning height was 4.45 meters (14-feet, 7.25-inches), which is one-quarter of an inch off his personal outdoor best.
LaMarcus Outing finished second in the long jump, while Matt Page was third in the shot put. Page's distance was the 49ers best this season, and puts his name into second on the all-time list.
