FAYETTEVILLE, Ark – Three Longhorns advanced on the first day of the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at John McDonnell Field on the campus of the University of Arkansas. Day one saw a three hour and fifteen minute weather delay due to severe thunderstorms and rain in the Fayetteville area.
Senior Alexandria Anderson blazed to a personal-best time of 11.02 in the prelims of the 100m, giving her the fastest overall time by over a tenth of a second. She has bettered her PR in each of the last three meets. Her preliminary time is the second fastest ever run by a UT athlete and the fourth-fastest in the world this year.
After the weather delay, Anderson returned to the track for the semifinals of the 100m. She once against posted the fastest time advancing to Friday’s final with a time of 11.29, nine-hundredths of a second faster than the second-place finisher.
On the men’s side The favourite Trindon Holliday, 10.00, Jacoby Ford, 10.01, and D’Angelo Cherry, whose 10.04, all opened fast before the rain came.
“The coaches were telling me that I should have broke 10, but I just wanted to be smart and focus on getting to the final,” Holliday said.
“I’m not mad at myself at all. Coach (Dennis) Shaver told me just to come out today and be smart through these two rounds and get to the final. That’s what the first day is all about. I wasn’t worried about anything but that.
“I feel very good about where I am with one race to go. It’s going to be a fast final because we’ve got a lot of guys here who love to compete. I’m one of those guys.”
Holliday then returned to win his semis with 10.14 and was join by Ford, winner of the other semi-finals, at 10.26.
In the women’s 4 x 100, Texas A&M posted a fast wind-aided 42.93 with a team of Khrystal Carter, Porscha Lucas, Dominique Duncan and Gabby Mayo to qualify with the fastest time.
Other heat winners in the women’s sprint relay included LSU (43.20), Florida State (43.79) and South Carolina (43.85). Also in the final are Oklahoma (43.92), Baylor (44.04), Arizona State (44.15), Tennessee (44.29) and Charleston Southern (44.35).
Four teams, led by Texas A&M’s 38.51 went under 39 seconds.
"We sent a message running that time in heat one, and everyone else had to chase our mark," said Justin Oliver, who anchored his team to the collegiate leading time for 2009.
"Running from lane eight it was basically a time trail by our selves. We can do more in the finals with everyone in same race and with us running from the middle of the track."
The dynamic twin of Jonathan and Kevin Borlee of Florida State were the top men in the 400m.
Jonathan won heat five with a blistering time of 45.50 to lead Kevin, who cruised to win his heat with a time of 45.88. Jessica Beard of Texas A&M was the quickest women with 51.61.
