June 24, 2011
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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
EUGENE, Ore. (UCFAthletics.com) - Freshman Aurieyall Scott is the 100 meter champion after placing first at the 2011 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Oregon's historic Hayward Field Friday afternoon. Scott ran a UCF record 11.12 in the finals to win the race and earn a spot on Team USA at the 2011 Pan American Junior Championships.
Scott bested her own school and freshman record of 11.19 set two weeks ago at the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, by seven hundredths of a second in the finals to become the first USA Junior Champion in program history.
"I am very proud of Aurieyall. She has run consistently all season and earning a USA Junior Championship is a true testament to her commitment," head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert said. "She set a school record in the finals of this meet and that demonstrates her talent and drive to get better each time she runs. Achievements like this show how this program has grown and where we are headed in the near future."
The UCF freshman, already a First Team All-American in the 100 meters, bested Oregon's English Gardner (2nd, 11.18) and Jessica Davis (3rd, 11.40) of USC to take the top spot. Coming into the weekend, Gardner had posted the fastest wind-legal time (11.03) in the nation this season by a collegiate runner, but was beaten Friday afternoon by the first-year Knight.
Scott also was the top qualifier in the first round of the event, held just an hour and 45 minutes prior to the finals. She ran an 11.22 to secure her spot in the finals, winning her heat by nearly a fifth of a second.
This season Scott was the 2011 C-USA 100 Meter Champion with a first-place finish at the league championship meet at Rice in May. She was also a First Team All-American after finishing fourth at Nationals earlier this month and is now a USA Junior Champion following her record-setting performance Friday afternoon.
Scott will now move on to the 2011 Pan American Junior Championships in Miramar, Fla., July 22-24 as a member of Team USA.
Junior Jackie Coward will run in the preliminaries of the 100-meter hurdles of the senior meet Saturday afternoon. The event is scheduled to begin at 4:20 p.m. ET. Scott and fellow freshman Tyler Smith will both run in the 200 meters of the junior meet tomorrow as well.
100 Meters
Preliminaries
1. Aurieyall Scott, 11.22 (+1.9)
Finals
1. Aurieyall Scott, 11.12 (+1.6)^!#