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Day One Results
DES MOINES ? After the opening day of competition at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the WAC has advanced seven athletes to the finals of their respective events. Another eight WAC athletes will participate in preliminary action of their events on Thursday, hoping to advance to the finals on Friday and Saturday.
Boise State junior Ryan Grinnell advanced to the finals of the men's long jump after an eighth place finish in the preliminaries, posting a mark of 25' 7.25" (7.80m). Grinnell will be joined by Fresno State freshman Gary Lee and Idaho junior Elvie Williams, who also qualified for the men's long jump final. Lee finished 10th in preliminary action, with a leap of 25' 4" (7.72m), while Williams tied for 12th with a jump of 25' 1.75" (7.66m). Grinnell, Lee and Williams will compete in the finals on Thursday, beginning at 7:30 p.m. (CT).
Hawai'i sophomore Amber Kaufman and junior Emily Sheppard advanced to the women's high jump finals after clearing 5' 9.75" (1.77m) in Wednesday's qualifying round. Sheppard cleared the mark on her second attempt, while Kaufman posted the mark on her third and final attempt at the height. The top 16 qualifiers, who each cleared the same height of 5' 9.75" (1.77m) will compete in the finals on Friday, beginning at 4:45 p.m. (CT).
Idaho senior Marcus Mattox advanced to the finals of the men's hammer throw after launching a career-best mark of 217' 2" (66.20m) in Wednesday's preliminary action. Mattox's throw broke his own previous school record by five feet, as he placed fifth in preliminary action. Mattox will compete in the finals on Friday, beginning at 5:30 p.m. (CT). Vandal senior Russ Winger, competing in his third career NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships meet, advanced to the finals of the men's discus after placing 11th in the preliminaries, posting a mark of 176' 4" (53.75m). Winger will compete in the finals of the discus on Friday, beginning at 3:15 p.m. (CT).
Eleven other WAC athletes participated in preliminary action yesterday, but failed to advance to the finals of their respective events. Boise State's Savvas Diakonikolas finished 16th in the men's long jump with a mark of 24' 9.25" (7.55m). Bronco juniors Simon Wardhaugh and Jarrod Stevens competed in the men's hammer throw, finishing 15th and 16th, respectively. Wardhaugh's best mark was 206' 0" (62.87m), while Stevens posted a best throw of 205' 6" (62.63m). Boise State junior Eleni Kafourou finished tied for 21st in the women's long jump with a leap of 20' 2.25" (6.15m), but will have another chance to make her mark at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships when she competes in the preliminaries of the triple jump on Friday, beginning at 7:00 p.m. (CT). Also competing on Friday for the Broncos will be Grinnell and Zacharias Arnos in the men's triple jump, while junior Megan Olivetti will make her first appearance on Thursday in the first round of the women's 100-meter hurdles.
Fresno State junior Sharon Ayala placed 13th in the women's hammer throw with a toss of 199' 5" (60.79m), finishing just one place shy of a spot in the finals. Bulldog freshman Rosario Sanchez will make her debut in the women's shot put on Thursday, beginning at 7:15 p.m. (CT).
Hawai'i senior Annett Wichmann will compete in her third-ever NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships meet as she begins heptathlon action on Friday, beginning at 1:00 p.m. (CT).
Idaho senior Russ Winger will open competition in the men's shot put preliminary action on Thursday, beginning at 2:15 p.m. (CT).
Louisiana Tech's men's 4x100-meter relay team of Mike Coleman, Albert Fullwood, Josh Harvey and Terry Carter placed ninth in preliminary action on Wednesday, clocking a time of 39.88, finishing just one spot shy of making the finals. Bulldog freshman Larry Jones finished 24th in the men's javelin throw with a mark of 190' 9" (58.14m), while junior Phelecia Reynolds placed 24th in the women's discus with a toss of 154' 3" (47.02m). Louisiana Tech junior Nadia Alexander will make her debut in the women's shot put on Thursday, beginning at 7:15 p.m. (CT).
Nevada senior Inger Appanaitis will compete in women's javelin throw preliminary action on Thursday, beginning at 12:15 p.m. (CT).