June 5, 2007
ATLANTA – Ten members of the Georgia Tech track and field teams will be competing at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif. The Jackets will compete in eight different events during the four day meet.
The competition is scheduled to begin Wed. at 10:30 a.m. with a men’s javelin. Running events will get under way at 3:00 p.m. with the men’s 4×100-meter relay.
“We are looking forward to the competition in Sacramento this week at the NCAA Championships,” said women’s head coach Alan Drosky. “We have six women representing our program and it’s a good mix of established veterans and upcoming younsters. All of them go into the the National Championship with the goal of competing at the highest level possible. As a team, we look to score some solid points and earn a top 25 placing.”
The women are led by senior Ashlee Kidd, a two-time All-American in the outdoor 400-meter, and junior Shantia Moss, the 2007 60-meter hurdles National Champion. Kidd enters the championship meet with the third-best national time in the 400m, a personal-best 51.47. Moss, who has the second-best 100-meter hurdles time in the nation this season (12.83), will try and garner her second National Championship of the year.
Also running the 100m hurdles is senior Fatmata Fofanah, who set a personal-best time of 13.16 this outdoor season. Sophomore Jacqua Williams, a member of the 2006 NCAA Championships qualifying 4×100-meter relay team, will make her first individual appearance at the championship meet in the 200-meter. Williams ran a personal-best time of 23.31 at the NCAA East Region Championships to earn an at-large bid to the event.
Sophomore Kimery Hern and freshman Samantha Musil will each be making their first appearance on the national stage. Hern has had a record-breaking year in the hammer, setting the new school-best mark of 193 feet, 5 inches. Musil earned an at-large bid into the discus with a personal-best throw of 165 feet, 8 inches at the Regional meet.
On the men’s side, junior Jerome Miller will lead a group of four Jackets including three newcomers at the championship meet. Miller, a 2006 All-American in the high jump, will look to exceed his school-record mark of 7 feet, 3 inches, a mark he set this season.
Redshirt freshman Steve Marcelle will lead the newcomers as he competes in the discus. Marcelle finished the discus in fifth place at the Regional with a personal-best mark of 180 feet, 3 inches.
Senior James Lemons II and freshman Alphonso Jordan will contend for the triple jump crown at the championship meet. Lemons is coming off his best season at Tech, winning the triple jump at the ACC Outdoor Championship with a personal-best mark of 52 feet, 4 inches. Jordan placed fifth at the Regional and has a season-best mark of 51 feet, 7 inches in the triple jump.
“I am very proud of these four young men,” said men’s head coach Grover Hinsdale. “It is a special accomplishment to qualify for an NCAA Championship and I know they are excited about the opportunity ahead.”
Live Results for the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships will be provided by Flash Results. Information and schedules are available at www.hornetsports.com.
Wed. June 6Kimery Hern - 11:00 am Hammer Women QualifyingSam Musil - 4:30 p.m. Discus Women QualifyingTia Moss, Fatmata Fofanah - 5:40 p.m. 100m Hurdles Women First RoundAshlee Kidd - 6:20 p.m. 400m Women First RoundSteve Marcelle - 7:00 p.m. Discus Men QualifyingJerome Miller - 7:15 p.m. High Jump Men Qualifying
Thurs. June 7 Jacqua Williams – 6:00 p.m. 200m Women 1st Round
Fri., June 8 Alphonso Jordan, James Lemons II – 1:45 p.m. Triple Jump Men Qualifying
