Shareese Woods (shown here at 2007 East Regionals) will race in the 400m semifinals at 10:10 p.m. Eastern at US Olympic Trials. |
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Woods Clears First Hurdle to Olympic Dreams With Semifinal Qualifying at US Olympic Trials
June 30, 2008
Eugene, Ore. - Former Charlotte 49er and four-time all-America Shareese Woods (Fort Lee, Va.) made it through the quarterfinals of the 400m race at the United States Track and Field Olympic Trials, held at Hayward Field, on the campus of the University of Oregon Sunday. She will race next in the semifinals Monday at 10:10 p.m. Eastern. She is attempting to be the first current or former Charlotte athlete to qualify on the United State team for the Olympic Games.
Woods ran a time of 51.60 seconds in the second of four heats, which was the fifth-fastest time of the day, earning her a spot in the semifinals. She will run in the first of two semifinal heats tonight, in lane seven. Her race will start at 10:10 p.m. EDT, with television coverage to begin on the USA Network (TWC, Channel 28 in Charlotte and surrounding areas) at 11 p.m. until 1 a.m. EDT.
There were 27 athletes in the 400m quarterfinals, with 16 moving onto the semifinals (the four winners and next best 12 times). Two heats of eight will race again Monday night, with the winners of each heat and the next six fastest times qualifying for the Thursday final, which will have just eight athletes participating. Tuesday and Wednesday are built-in rest days for the United States Trials
The finals will be contested on Thursday night, July 3 at 11:05 p.m. Eastern (USA Network coverage begins at 11 p.m.).
Woods has two goals set this week in Oregon: qualify for the 400m as an individual or on the 4x400m relay team. She was the first 49er ever to claim a National Championship when she won the 400m title at the US Indoor National Championships in Boston this February. In March, she claimed a pair of bronze medals at the World Indoor Championships in both the 400m individual and 4x400m relay finals.
Woods earned four NCAA all-America honors during her four-year career with the 49ers -- the most of any Charlotte student-athlete. She was an all-America in the 400 meters at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships and in the 200 meters at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships, the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships and the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
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No stranger to international success, Woods won gold in the 4x100 relay at the 2006 North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Games, won gold (4x400) and silver (200 meters) at the 2007 NACAC Games and won silver in the 4x100 relay at the 2007 Pan American Games.
