|
NCAA East Regional Set For Bloomington
May 25, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The University of Memphis track and field team will take a squad of 11 student-athletes to this week's NCAA East Regional preliminary rounds, beginning Thursday at 10 a.m. (CT) on the campus of Indiana University at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex.
The 2010 Tiger track and field team brought eight athletes to Greensboro, North Carolina and four of those return in 2011. Leading the returnees is senior Richard Lowe, who is making his third trip to the NCAA East Regional. Lowe enters the event fourth in the region in the 400m hurdles, and 11th in the nation following his gold medal and school-record breaking performance at the Conference USA Outdoor Championships. Joining Lowe in the 400m hurdles will be senior Nick Harold and freshman Brandon Williams. Memphis is one of three schools to qualify a trio of 400m hurdle athletes for the prelims, joining Ole Miss and North Carolina with three athletes qualified. Another returning Tiger hurdler is junior Robert Jackson, who joined Lowe and the departed Steffen Nerdal, last year, at the NCAA Championships. Jackson recently earned his second gold medal in 110m hurdles at the C-USA Outdoor Championships. Senior jumper Jerome Leslie returns to the NCAA Regional for the second year in a row, but will make his debut on the national stage in the triple jump this year after qualifying in the high jump for last year's event. On the women's side, senior LaShundra Kershaw makes her return in the 100 and 200m dash. She was a preliminary qualifier in both events in 2010 and is a two-time All-Conference USA selection. 2009 Regional qualifier Tayanna Simpson will also be making her return to the event. The Houston, Texas native will compete in both the 100m hurdles and the 400m hurdles, joining Kershaw as the only Tigers who will compete in multiple events at this year's Regionals. Senior thrower Marina Vojinovic returns to regional competition after redshirting in 2010. She picked up a bronze medal in the shot put at this year's C-USA Outdoor Championships. Three Tigers will be making their first trip to the NCAA Regionals, including two more freshmen for head coach Kevin Robinson's squad. Memphis native Austin Crenshaw will compete in the pole vault, while Canadian Tom Willcox will represent the men's squad in the shot put. Sophomore Kirsten Berding will be Memphis' first representative in the high jump since Chen Edri in 2007, leading off an action-packed Friday for the track and field Tigers, beginning at 1 p.m. (ET). Three track and field athletes will be unable to compete this weekend due to injury. Sophomores Savvas Arestis (discus) and Karlis Pujats (pole vault) and freshman Anna Bischof (shot put) will be unable to compete for the Tigers in Bloomington. Check back with gotigersgo.com and the Official Memphis Track and Field Facebook page for any updates pertaining to the Memphis track and field team's exploits at the NCAA East Regional preliminaries. Thursday, May 26 (ALL TIMES CENTRAL) Friday, May 27 Saturday, May 28 Live Video Links Thursday, May 26, 2011 3:30pm EST Friday, May 27, 2011 4:30pm EST Saturday, May 28, 2011 6:00pm EST
|
Memphis Tigers
|
