June 26, 2011
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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
EUGENE, Ore. (UCFAthletics.com) - One day after breaking the UCF record in the first round of the 100-meter hurdles at the 2011 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championship, junior Jackie Coward once again set the bar just a little bit higher. Coward ran a program record 12.87 Sunday in the semifinals at Oregon's Hayward Field.
"Jackie ran another strong race this afternoon," head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert said. "Two new school records this weekend against the best competition in the nation really shows what kind of talent she is in this event. Even though we had a great season this past year, we all know that this program is continuing to move forward and races like the one today and all the accomplishments of this weekend show the direction we are headed.
"Follow that up with Tiki (James)making it all the way to the finals today is a clear demonstration of the type of talented athletes this program has been fortunate enough to have in recent years," Smith Gilbert added.
UCF's junior hurdler ran a 12.93 in Saturday's first-round heat to set the new program standard in the event, only to break it the following afternoon.
Running against some of the best competition in the country from both the professional and collegiate ranks in the senior meet, Coward placed13th overall.
A two-time First Team All-American in this event, Coward's remarkable 2011 season ends with Sunday's race. This year, she won the Conference USA title in both the 100- and 400-meter hurdles, while also finishing third in the 100-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships to earn her second straight First Team All-American honor.
Former Knight Tiki James earned the final qualifying spot in the finals with a 12.77 in a separate semifinal heat Sunday afternoon. In the finals, she finished sixth in 12.94.
100-Meter Hurdles
Semifinals
13. Jackie Coward, 12.87 (+1.2) !^