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Williams and Scott Earn All-American Honors at Fir

March 11, 2011

Complete UCF Results in PDF Format

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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (UCFAthletics.com) - Freshman Aurieyall Scott and sophomore Sonnisha Williams earned All-American honors as the No. 9 UCF women's indoor track & field team ran in the first day of the NCAA Indoor Championships at Texas A&M's Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium.

Scott broke two UCF program records in her first day at Nationals. In the 200 meters Friday, the first-year Knight set a new record with a 23.16 in the preliminaries. Scott bested her old mark of 23.17 set at Penn State on Jan. 29 by one-hundredth of a second at College Station. In running the seventh-fastest qualifying time, Scott earned First Team All-American honors as finished eighth in 23.32 in the finals to earn one point.

Scott ran a 7.19 in the preliminaries of the 60 meters, winning her heat and breaking her own record of 7.24 set last two weeks ago to claim the Conference USA title. She posted the second-fastest qualifying time in the event Friday and will run in Saturday's final heat.

Sophomore Sonnisha Williams earned two points with a mark of 20-7.0/6.27m in the long jump Friday afternoon, earning First-Team All-American honors in the process. The jump was good for seventh place and was just two inches short of her program record of 20-9.0/6.31m set at the Hokie Invitational on Jan. 22.

"We had a great day today," head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert said. "Overall, I was pleased with everyone's performances. Everyone ran well today."

Junior Jackie Coward posted the fastest-qualifying time in the 60-meter hurdles Friday at the first day of the NCAA Indoor Championships. Coward tied her own school record in the preliminary heat with a time of 8.06 and will have an opportunity to score points for the Knights in Saturday's final.

Freshman Dominique Booker also ran in the 60 and 200-meter races. Her 7.27 finish was good for 10th in the 60 and was three-hundredths of a second off her previous personal best and school record that she shared with Scott. Booker's 23.61in the 200 meters was good for 15th overall. Booker failed to qualify for the finals in either event.

"I was disappointed that Dominique was not able to qualify, because we really needed her points. But I am looking forward to tomorrow and I know that we are capable of finishing as one of the top 10 teams in the nation," Smith Gilbert added.

The Knights will have three scoring opportunities in Saturday's finals of the 60 meters, the 60-meter hurdles and the 4x400-meter relay. UCF's program record of 3:34.00 in the 4x400 last weekend at Notre Dame was the sixth-fastest time in the nation this season.

NEW ALL-AMERICA CRITERIA
Beginning with the 2011 season, the policy for determining an All-American will change. The top eight finishers at the NCAA Championships in each event--regardless of nationality--will be named All-America. Places 9-16 will be recognized as second-team All-America and places 17-24 as honorable mention All-America. Finishing a first round at the indoor championships or a preliminary at the outdoor finals site, will automatically make someone an honorable mention selection.

UCF Results

NCAA Championships - Day 1

Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium - March 11, 2011

60 Meters Hurdles

Preliminaries

1. Jackie Coward 8.06^! - Q

60 Meters

­Preliminaries

2. Aurieyall Scott 7.19^!# - Q

10. Dominique Booker 7.27

200 Meters

­Preliminaries

7. Aurieyall Scott 23.16^#! - q

15. Dominique Booker 23.61

Finals

8. Aurieyall Scott 23.32 (1)

Long Jump

7. Sonnisha Williams 20-7.0/6.27m (2)

Editor's Key

! - Personal Record

^ - School Record

# - UCF Freshman Record

+ - NCAA Provisional Qualifier

* - NCAA Automatic Qualifier

Q - Qualified for finals (won heat)

q - Qualified for finals

m - C-USA Championship meet record

f - time converted from flat track time to banked time

() - points earned