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UCF Readies for NCAA East Preliminary Round This Weekend

May 25, 2011

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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com

ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - With the program's second-straight Conference USA Outdoor Championship claimed more than a week ago, the UCF track & field team will now turn its attention to this weekend's NCAA East Preliminary Round. The meet, hosted by the University of Indiana, will take place at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex in Bloomington.

The Knights will send a school record 12 student-athletes to the meet this weekend to compete in eight events. No other team in the country will have more than the 15 entries into the sprints and hurdles that UCF will have this weekend. Texas A&M and LSU will send 14 apiece on the women's side to compete in those events, one shy of the Knights' nation-leading total.

Aurieyall Scott, Sheila Paul, Dominique Booker and Lynne Layne will all represent UCF in both the 100 and 200 meters. Scott was the C-USA Champion in both events at the league meet last weekend, helping her earn both Freshman and High Point Scorer of the Meet honors.

Conference Champion in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles and Performer of the Meet, Jackie Coward will be representing the Knights again in both events in Indiana. Seniors Mica Wimberly and Karessa Farley will join Coward in the 100-meter hurdles after both earned spots on the podium in Houston with second- and third-place finishes in the final heat Sunday afternoon.

Freshman Sandy Jean will run alongside Coward in the 400-meter hurdles, just a week after placing third at the C-USA meet in a UCF freshman record 58.84.

Sophomore Sonnisha Williams recorded the second-best jump in the nation this year to capture the C-USA title on Saturday evening at Rice. Her mark of 21-4.00/6.50m was not only good enough to claim the top spot on the podium, but also eclipsed her own program record set earlier in the spring by more than four inches. Jacquelyn Gilchrist will also join Williams in the long jump this weekend in Bloomington after also qualifying.

UCF will also have freshman Afia Charles and senior Champelle Brown in 400 meters. Charles broke the school record in the event during the preliminary heats at Rice last Saturday, while both she and Brown earned points for the Knights in the event in Sunday's final.

The foursome of Booker, Scott, Layne and Paul will represent the Knights in the 4x100-meter relay after claiming the C-USA title in a new UCF record of 43.42 last Sunday afternoon. That time is the second fastest qualifying mark in the East Preliminary Round and the fourth fastest in the nation this season. The Knights' 4x400-meter relay team is also set to run in Bloomington after claiming the C-USA title Sunday night to sweep the relay events.

The Black and Gold get underway Thursday afternoon with the first rounds of the 400-meter hurdles at 3:30 p.m., the 100 meters at 5:30 p.m. and the 400 meters at 6:30 p.m.




Day 1 - Thursday, May 26
Field Events
11:00am W Hammer Qualifying
12:00pm M Javelin Qualifying
1:00pm W Long Jump Qualifying
1:00pm M Shot Put Qualifying
1:00pm M High Jump Qualifying
6:00pm M Long Jump Qualifying
6:00pm W Pole Vault Qualifying
Track Events
3:25pm National Anthem
3:30pm W 400m Hurdles First Round
4:00pm M 400m Hurdles First Round
4:30pm W 1500m First Round
5:00pm M 1500m First Round
5:30pm W 100m First Round
6:00pm M 100m First Round
6:30pm W 400m First Round
7:00pm M 400m First Round
7:30pm W 800m First Round
8:00pm M 800m First Round
8:30pm W 10,000m Semifinal
9:15pm M 10,000m Semifinal

Day 2 - Friday, May 27
Field Events
11:00am M Hammer Qualifying
12:00pm W Javelin Qualifying
1:00pm W Triple Jump Qualifying
1:00pm W Shot Put Qualifying
1:00pm W High Jump Qualifying
6:00pm M Triple Jump Qualifying
6:00pm M Pole Vault Qualifying
Track Events
4:25pm National Anthem
4:30pm W 100m Hurdles First Round
5:00pm M 110m Hurdles First Round
5:30pm W 400m Quarterfinal
5:45pm M 400m Quarterfinal
6:00pm W 100m Quarterfinal
6:15pm M 100m Quarterfinal
6:30pm W 800m Quarterfinal
6:45pm M 800m Quarterfinal
7:00pm W 400m Hurdles Quarterfinal
7:15pm M 400m Hurdles Quarterfinal
7:30pm W 200m First Round
8:00pm M 200m First Round
8:30pm W 3,000m Steeple Quarterfinal
9:10pm M 3,000m Steeple Quarterfinal

Day 3 - Saturday, May 28
Field Events
11:00am W Discus Qualifying
5:00pm M Discus Qualifying
Track Events
5:55pm National Anthem
6:00pm W 4 x 100m Quarterfinal
6:15pm M 4 x 100m Quarterfinal
6:30pm W 1500m Quarterfinal
6:45pm M 1500m Quarterfinal
7:05pm W 100m Hurdles Quarterfinal
7:20pm M 110m Hurdles Quarterfinal
7:35pm W 200m Quarterfinal
7:50pm M 200m Quarterfinal
8:05pm W 5000m Semifinal
8:45pm M 5000m Semifinal
9:25pm W 4 x 400m Quarterfinal
9:45PM M 4 x 400m Quarterfinal