April 4, 2009
AUBURN, Ala. – Sophomore Antonio McKay Jr. ran an NCAA Regional qualifying time in the 400 meter dash as the Georgia Tech track & field team posted 10 top-five performances at the Auburn Tiger Track Classic Saturday in Auburn, Ala.
With a turnaround similar to that of the track & field pro circuit, the Jackets competed on just one day of rest after the Tech – Georgia Dual on Thursday.
McKay’s regional qualifying run of 47.15 is a new personal-best for the sophomore from Roswell, Ga. He finished fifth-place overall on the day, but second among collegiate performers.
Senior Dave Ford added to the top-five finish list, with a fourth-place dash of 14.32 in the 110m hurdles for a new personal-best. In the high jump, senior Jerome Miller cleared the bar at 7’2.25″ while placing third on the day. Miller’s height was a regional qualifier, but the Stafford, Va. native had already qualified with a 7’2.50″ mark on Thursday.
Freshman Mykhail Chambers placed sixth in the same event, while clearing a personal-best 6’9.50″ height in the process.
The highest place for the Jackets on the day came from sophomore Omar Morrison in the triple jump. Morrison, who already qualified for NCAA Regionals at the Hurricane Invitational, placed second in the triple with a mark of 48’8.75″. His distance was the best collegiate performance on the day, as unattached Marrio Lowe won with a mark of 50’8″.
The women’s side, the 4x100m relay team of Taylor Davidson, Tiffany Grant, Leslie Njoku and Jenae Anderson finished third with a time of 46.12.
Junior Tiffany Grant had a personal-best day of her own in the women’s 400 meter dash. Her 54.62 time gave her a fifth-place finish in the event.
Freshman Jasmine Isley also wrapped up a fifth-place race at the meet, with a personal best 1:01.15 scramble in the 400 meter hurdles.
In the last event of the evening, freshmen Terri Ann Grant and Bianca Stewart finished third and fifth, respectively, in the high jump. Grant and Stewart both hit a clearance of 5’7.75″, but Grant placed higher due to a jump-off. It was an all Jacket affair in the event, as former Tech performer Chaunte Howard (competing unattached) won the event with a clearance of 6’3.50″.
The Jackets will take a week off before competing in the 2009 ACC outdoor Championships April 14-16 in Miami, Fla.
