May 30, 2008
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF 4x100-meter relay squad came five one-hundredths of a second shy of breaking the school record in that event Friday as the Knights concluded the opening day of the NCAA East Regional at Mike Long Track on the campus of Florida State University.
The final day of the two-day NCAA East Regional commences at 10 a.m. EDT Saturday. Freshman Lizzie Harris (Miami, Fla.) competes in the high jump beginning at 1 p.m., junior Dione Thomas (Jacksonville, Fla.) will compete in the triple jump at 4 p.m. and the school-record-setting 4x400-meter relay runs at 7:15 p.m.
"This has been a great year and it's nice to have so many athletes participating in the regional championships," UCF head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert said. "I am a little disappointed in some of the performances today, because they didn't match the level at which we have trained. Overall, it has been a great outdoor campaign and I am very excited about the future of this program. Tomorrow, we have the high jump, the triple jump, the shot put and the 4x400 relay. I am sure somebody will qualify for nationals tomorrow."
The NCAA Championships take place June 11-14 in Des Moines, Iowa, hosted by Drake University. The Knights are looking to qualify for nationals in an event for just the second time in school history. LesSundra Ford is the school's lone NCAA Outdoor Championships participant, having punched her ticket to the national meet in 2004 in the high jump.
The UCF 4x100-meter relay team finished just shy of the school record, by concluding the race in 45.51. The relay team, consisting of freshman Micaela Wimberly (Miami, Fla.), Harris, Thomas and sophomore Feyisara Adaramola (Bronx, N.Y.), finished in 13th place in the event. That same squad set the school record of 45.47 at the UCF Invitational on May 10 in Orlando.
Senior Victoria Chin (Orlando, Fla.) finished 19th in the preliminaries of the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.06 (-1.7), while junior Sheree Carter (Tallahassee, Fla.), the 2008 Conference USA Outdoor Heptathlon Champion, finished 27th in a time of 14.41 (-1.2).
Senior Karen Kozub (Alden, N.Y.) concluded the preliminaries of the 800-meter run in 17th place in a time of 2:10.07, while junior Shantile Blackburn (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was 27th in a time of 2:12.83.
Thomas, who will compete in the triple jump on Saturday, finished 16th in the long jump with a leap of 19-0/5.79m.
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UCF Competitors at the NCAA East Regional (Friday, May 30, 2008 - Tallahassee, Fla.)
4x100-Meter Relay (RQS: 45.58) - 3:30 p.m.
13. UCF `A' - 45.51
-Micaela Wimberly, Lizzie Harris, Dione Thomas, Feyisara Adaramola
Long Jump (RQS: 19-8.25/6.06m) - 4 p.m.
16. Dione Thomas - 19-0/5.79m (+0.2)
100 Hurdle Prelims (RQS: 13.88) - 4:50 p.m.
19. Victoria Chin - 14.06 (-1.7)
27. Sheree Carter - 14.41 (-1.2)
800-Meter Run Prelims (RQS: 2:10.28) - 6:50 p.m.
17. Karen Kozub - 2:10.07
27. Shantile Blackburn - 2:12.83