June 29, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - UCF's Tiki James (Miami, Fla.) competed over the weekend at the 2009 USA Track & Field National Championships in Eugene, Ore., advancing to the semifinals and finishing 14th in the 100-meter hurdles. In a field of mostly professionals, James finished third among collegiate athletes.
In the first round on Saturday, James crossed the line in 13.18 seconds to earn a spot in Sunday's semifinals. In the first semifinal on Sunday, James ran the event in 13.27 seconds and ranked 14th. Dawn Harper won the event in the finals on Sunday with a time of 12.36 seconds.
James had qualified for a spot in the elite field of competitors with a strong junior season at UCF. Her qualifying mark of 13.03 ranked her 11th among competitors overall and third among current collegiate athletes heading into the event.
James, a transfer, had an impressive first season as a Knight competing for second-year head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert. The best performance of her junior campaign came at the NCAA East Regionals in late May in Greensboro, N.C. In the finals of the 100-meter hurdles, James crossed the line in second place with the time of 13.03.
The performance ranked her sixth among collegiate athletes this season and earned James a spot in the NCAA Outdoor Championships. At the national college meet in Fayetteville, Ark., she finished just outside the finals in 12th place.
During the indoor season, James advanced to the NCAA Championships and earned All-American accolades with a fifth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles. She now owns the UCF school records in the 55-, 60- and 100-meter hurdles.
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