Track and Field Sending Nineteen to NCAA Midwest Regional Meet

5/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field

May 24, 2007

HOUSTON - The Houston track and field team will travel to Des Moines, Iowa on May 25-26 for the NCAA Midwest Regional. The two-day meet begins on Friday at 1 p.m. with the field events and at 2 p.m. the prelims of the running events will begin. Saturday will conclude the field events beginning at 1 p.m. and the finals of the running events are set to start at 3 p.m.

The Cougars will be represented by 19 student-athletes at the meet. Each have met the regional qualifications throughout the outdoor season to advance to the post-season meet.

Leading the way is senior Ebonie Floyd. The Houston, Texas native qualified in the 100, 200, 400, 4x100 and 4x400. She will compete in the 100 and 200 races and as a member of the 4x100 relay team. Competing with her will be freshmen Hyleta Young and Quin'shundolyn McPherson and sophomore Seun Adigun. Adigun will also be competing in the 100 meter hurdles along with sophomore LeeA'ndrea Robinson. McPherson has also qualified in the long and triple jump and the 200 meters, however she will not be entered in the long jump competition.

Also competing for the women: freshman Ashley Bryant (discus), sophomore Dayo Ogunniyi (long jump) and senior Rachel Easley (long jump).

For the men, junior Tremaine Smith qualified in both the 100 and 200 meters but will only be competing in the 100 meter race. Houston's high jump duo of junior Ivan Diggs and senior Tristain Whitley will also be entered in the Regional meet. Freshman Alex Bentley (high jump), junior James Lee (discus), junior Steve Magness (1,500), along with the 4x400 relay team of freshmen Justin Davis and Pearson Crichlow, senior Chris White and junior Dominic Milton will also make the trip to Des Moines.

The meet will feature 13 Cougars making their first appearance at the NCAA Regional. Floyd, Easley, Adigun, Robinson, Smith and Whitley will be the only returning regional qualifiers for UH.

At the Regional the top five finishers in each event will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships in Sacrament, Calif. There are four Regional sites making a total of 20 qualifiers with the possibility of five to eight at-large bids. The 10,000 meters, heptathlon and decathlon have automatic and provisional marks for the NCAA Championships. Automatic qualifiers will make the Championships leaving at-large bids available to athletes with provisional marks.

Last season, at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Austin, Texas, the women finished ninth with 31 points and the men finished 12th with 21 points.

The Cougars had the last week off to prepare for the meet following the Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 10-12. The men and the women's team both earned third place finishes behind nine individual championships. Floyd set three Conference USA records at the meet with wins in the 200 meters (22.67), 400 meters (51.74) and as a member of the 4x100 meter relay team. She joined teammates Young, McPherson and Adigun to finish the race in 44.24. She was also a member of the winning 4x400 meter relay team with sophomore LaNeeka Allen, McPherson and freshman Ciara Willis. Floyd went on to be named the Female Performer of the Meet and the Female High Point Scorer of the Meet.

Other Cougars winning individual titles include at the conference championships: Jarrett Flax (decathlon), Bentley (pole vault), Lee (discus), Whitley (high jump) and Adigun (100 hurdles).

For a complete wrap-up of each day of Regional events go to www.uhcougars.com. Fans can also visit www.godrakebulldogs.com for links to live results, live video and meet information. Athletes qualifying for the NCAA Championships at the Midwest Regional will travel to Sacramento, Calif. on June 6-10.