Cox advances in 400
By Jack Pfeifer
DES MOINES, Iowa – Shana Cox won her first-round heat Wednesday in the 400 meters as the NCAA Championships got under way at Drake Stadium, the first time the meet has been held at this venerable building, home of the Drake Relays, in 38 years.
Cox, a senior at Penn State, won Heat III in 52.55, qualifying for Friday’s semifinals, and her teammate, Dominque Blake, fellow New Yorker, advanced on time, running 53.44 for 3rd place in Heat V.
Two other New Yorkers failed to advance in the women’s 400. Jeavon Benjamin (Hempstead, LI) missed qualifying by .08, running 53.79 for 6th in Heat I for Arizona State; Jessica Clarke (Murry Bergtraum, NYC) ran 54.44 for 5th in Heat II for TCU.
Cox, the heart of a powerhouse Penn State squad here, is on a quest for her first NCAA championship, the culmination of a career that has been blossoming ever since she broke the national high school record for the 300 at the Loughlin Games in the Armory half a dozen years ago. She is also scheduled to run on the Nittany Lions’ 4x400 team, along with Blake, who prepped at Truman of the Bronx. Penn State has the fastest time in the country this season in the 4x4, and the Lions shocked many of their rivals, including LSU, Texas A&M and South Carolina, in the event at this year’s Penn Relays.
St. John’s freshman Priscilla Frederick cleared a lifetime-best 5-9 ¾ to qualify for the final in the women’s high jump. In the men’s hammer qualifying, Paul Peulich of Manhattan threw a lifetime best, 211-5, to advance to that final.
Two New York natives also advanced to Round 2 of the women’s 800. Jesse Carlin (St. Joseph by the Sea, SI) secured an automatic qualifier by finishing 3rd for Pennsylvania in Heat II, while Jessica Ortman, who transferred from Albany to Kentucky last summer, finished 5th in the heat in 2:08.24 and advanced on time.
Latavia Thomas, this year’s NCAA indoor champion for LSU, won her heat of the 800 as part of the Tigers’ quest for the team championship. The biggest swing in the women’s team battle, however, came in the 100-meter semifinals, and that was caused by the wind.
It was a balmy, windy day here – once the morning’s thunderstorms subsided – and the straightaway races were all run into a stiff breeze.
In Semi I of the women’s 100, Porscha Lucas of Texas A&M – one of LSU’s primary challengers for the team title – finished 5th, giving her a possible place in the final, depending upon the times in the ensuing semi. Lucas ran 11.79 into a stiff 4.4 meter per second wind.
But Semi II had only a 0.4 mps headwind, all of the times were much faster, and that allowed the women who finished 4th and 5th – both of whom, it happened, run for LSU – to make the final. (Samantha Henry was 4th, Juanita Broaddus 5th.) It represented a big swing for Coach Dennis Shaver’s Lady Tigers.
LSU is also a contender in the men’s team battle, along with the defending champions, Florida State, and the indoor champions, Arizona State.
And again, the 100 meters is a battleground. Trindon Holliday of LSU and Walter Dix of FSU ran 1-2 in the 2nd semi; Richard Thompson of LSU advanced out of the first semi, but Michael Ray Garvin, Dix’s teammate, failed to make the final. The two teams also advanced to the 4x100 final earlier in the day.
Dix, the defending champion, has been nursing a tender hamstring all spring, but he appeared comfortable here. “The hamstring feels good,” Dix said. “I’m just trying to work my way back and get a good lane for the finals.”
A rundown of other highlights from Day 1:
MEN
Pole vault – Sophomore Luke Schoen cleared 17-2 3/4, just short of his lifetime best, to make the final.
100 – Terrell Wilks (Hillhouse, Conn.), a freshman at Florida, was a surprise winner on his first-round heat, but he finished last in his semi and failed to advance. Gordon McKenzie (Queens) also made the semis, for Kentucky, but was disqualified for a false start.
400 – New Jersey native Charles Cox, a freshman at North Carolina, advanced with a 4th-place finish in his heat. Greg Gomes (Seton Hall) failed to advance.
IH – NJ’s Reuben McCoy won his heat for Auburn in 49.99. Cornell’s Adam Seabrook narrowly missed advancing, running 51.18 for 4th in his heat.
800 – Seton Hall’s Rob Novak, who had run a PR 1:47 at Regionals, ran 1:50.96 in his heat and failed to advance. LSU advanced two of its three entrants to the semis.
Discus – Rashaud Scott (Truman, Bronx) made the finals for Kentucky, throwing 176-7.
Steeplechase – New Yorker John Martinez failed to advance to the final, running 8:58.94 for North Carolina State.
WOMEN
IH – Nicole Leach of UCLA and Nickiesha Wilson of LSU easily won their heats. In Heat V, Wendy Dorr (Williamsville South) advanced on time, running 58.19 for 3rd place for Penn State.
Hammer – New York native Kristen Callan advanced to the final for Virginia Tech, throwing 200-9 in the qualifying. Lafayette’s Ashley Harbin just missed, throwing 199-2.
Discus – New Jerseyan Jocelyn White of UNC failed to make the final. Arizona State advanced all three of its throwers.