University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
NCAA West Prelims
Three Tickets Punched for NCAA Championships
5/26/2017 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
AUSTIN â€" Cameron Burrell, Mario Burke and Amere Lattin punched their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships as the Houston Cougar Men's and Women's Track & Field teams wrapped the second day of the NCAA West Regional, on Friday.
Burrell qualified for the quarterfinal round with the fastest overall time in the first round at 9.90. On Friday, Burrell was again the fastest to cross the line, winning his heat in 9.95 and booking his trip to Eugene, Ore. Burrell will advance to the NCAA Championships for the third consecutive season and the second straight in the 100-meter dash after finishing fourth a year ago.
Burke booked his second-straight trip to the NCAA Championships and his first as an individual after qualifying on time in the 100-meter dash. Burke crossed the line fourth in heat three with a time of 10.21 to give him the 12th fastest time and secure the final qualifying position.
Burrell and Burke each also qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 60-meter dash, and both will be on the track on Saturday in the 4x100-meter relay qualifier. In 2016, Burke and Burrell were part of the relay squad that claimed silver at the outdoor championship meet and broke the school record in 38.44.
Lattin became Houston's third NCAA Championship qualifier of the day when he punched his ticket in the 400-meter hurdles. Lattin set a new personal best when he crossed the line in 50.59 to finish third in the first heat and earn the automatic qualifying berth. Lattin heads to Eugene for the second-consecutive season after a fifth place finish in the 110-meter hurdles in 2016.
Competing in two events on the day, Lattin began day two of the NCAA West Regional for Houston in the 110-meter hurdles. The sophomore finished the straight-track hurdle race in 13.90 to place second in the heat and earn an automatic qualifying berth into Saturday's quarterfinal. Lattin will be on the track at 7:20 p.m.
Senior Tori Williams took the track for the second time at the NCAA West Regional in the first round of the women's 200-meter dash, where she finished fourth in the second heat after running 23.50. After sweating out four more heats, Williams found out she qualified for Saturday's quarterfinal with the 23rd overall time. Williams will compete at 7:35 p.m., Saturday.
A pair of Cougar men wrapped up the qualifying for the Cougars on Friday, reaching the quarterfinals of the men's 200-meter dash. Sophomore Jacarias Martin crossed the line in 20.60 to finish second in the fourth heat and earn an automatic qualifying bid with the eighth fastest time overall.
Burke made his return to the track in heat three of the 200-meter dash. After finishing fourth in heat three in 20.99, Burke waited out the remainder of the field before securing the final non-automatic qualifying bid and ranking 24th overall.
Martin and Burke will return to action at 7:50 p.m., on Saturday.
Freshman Brianne Bethel opened the running for the women by competing in the quarterfinal race of the 100-meter dash. Bethel crossed the line in 11.42 to finish sixth in heat one and place 16th overall. Sophomore John Lewis III placed 17th in the men's 100-meter dash with a time of 10.28.
In Houston's only field event of the day, junior thrower Cameron Cornelius placed 27th in the men's shot put with a top mark of 56-11.25 (17.35m).
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