Women's Track and Field captures NCAA Midwest Regional title
AUSTIN, Texas -- No. 1 Texas garnered three victories and nine NCAA automatic berths Saturday on its way to first-place honors at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium. All totaled, UT collected 12 NCAA automatic berths in 10 events during the two-day meet. Texas junior Marshevet Hooker (San Antonio, Texas), who won the long jump on Friday to collect a NCAA automatic berth, was unable to finish the 100-meter final after suffering a mild hamstring strain about 60 meters into the race. Hooker had anchored the 4x100-meter relay team to victory earlier in the evening in 43.17. She had been scheduled to compete in the 200-meter final but was unable to participate. With automatic NCAA berths assured in the long jump and the 4x100-meter relay, Hooker's status for NCAA competition in the 100 and 200-meter events is uncertain. "We'll do what we can to ensure that Marshevet is able to compete in the 100 meters at the NCAA Championships," said UT coach Bev Kearney. "It's unfortunate this had to happen to any athlete, particularly someone who works as hard as Marshevet." Freshman Alex Anderson (Chicago, Ill.), who ran two lanes to Hooker's left, excelled in the 100 meters, posting a personal-best time of 11.10 (wind 2.8) to finish in a virtual dead heat with TCU's Virgil Hodge. Anderson took second in 11.0962 behind Virgil in 11.0902. Anderson also added a NCAA automatic qualifier in the 200 meters with a wind-aided time of 23.14. Senior Melaine Walker (Kingston, Jamaica) turned in solid performances in the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdle events. Walker clocked a personal-best time of 12.77 in the 100 hurdles to take a close second behind Nebraska's Priscilla Lopes before easily claiming the 400 hurdles in 56.03. Sophomore Alandra Sherman (Houston, Texas) set a personal best in the 100 hurdles with a fifth-place time of 13.29 to qualify for the NCAA Championships. The Texas 4x400-meter relay quartet of Anderson, senior LaTashia Kerr (Houston, Texas), junior Jerrika Chapple (Lancaster, Texas) and Walker took the event in 3:30.85, topping second-place Houston by nearly a second. Kerr completed a productive day, earning an NCAA automatic berth in the 400 meters in addition to the aforementioned 4x100 and 4x400 relays. Kerr clocked 52.87 in the 400 for fifth place. The NCAA Outdoor Championships are slated for June 7-10 (Wed.-Sat.) at the Alex Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif. CSTV will air live coverage on Friday, June 9, and CBS Sports will offer live coverage on Saturday, June 10 from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. CDT. NCAA Midwest Regional Championships - Mike A. Myers Stadium Top Five Team Results Day Two Texas Results Pole Vault 4x100-Meter Relay 100-Meter Hurdles
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