June 9, 2012
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
DES MOINES, Iowa (UCFAthletics.com) - Senior Jackie Coward and freshman Octavious Freeman capped a successful season for the No. 13 UCF track and field team Saturday with solid efforts at the NCAA Championships. The pair narrowly missed out on medaling as Coward finished fourth in the finals of the 100 hurdles and Freeman placed fourth in the finals of the 200 meters at Drake Stadium.
UCF placed 19th as a team at the event, recording its second-straight top-20 finish.
Coward and Freeman earned All-America First Team honors earlier in the week by advancing to the finals of their respective events. Competing in her final collegiate race, Coward battled a headwind of 3.1 to finish the 100 hurdles in 13.16. Christina Manning of Ohio State won the race with a time of 12.89, followed by Brianna Rollins (12.91) and Bridgette Owens (13.10) of Clemson.
Freeman faced a 2.3 headwind during the 200 meters. She clocked in at 23.25, while Dominique Duncan of Texas A&M finished third at 23.187. Kimberlyn Duncan of LSU placed first with a time of 22.86, followed by Kai Selvon of Auburn (23.184).
Both Coward and Freeman, as well as junior Sonnisha Williams and sophomore Aurieyall Scott, will represent UCF at the U.S. Olympic Trials, which starts June 22 in Eugene, Ore.
The Knights recorded a total of seven All-America honors in Des Moines. The success at the NCAA Championships capped an impressive outdoor campaign for UCF, which included the program's third-straight Conference USA Championship title.