Two Kats earn trip to NCAA Finals
5/27/2016 6:58:00 PM | Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
Ashley Jenkins and Elizabeth Lyssy each earned spots in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field National Championships June 8-11 with outstanding performances in the rain-shortened NCAA West Preliminary Round in Lawrence, Kansas, Friday.
Jenkins, a senior from Hillcrest High School in Dallas posted a mark of 213 feet five inches to place fourth in the women's hammer throw. She lived up to her seeding in the event, coming into the meet ranked fourth in the West Preliminary competition with a school record and season best of 215 feet five inches this year.
Returning to the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row, Jenkins earned All-America honors with a ninth place throw of 202 feet four inches as a junior. Jenkins advanced in 2015 with an 11th place performance in the West Preliminary round.
Lyssy, a San Antonio / Antonian product hurled the javelin 161 feet, eight inches to punch her ticket for the championships in Euguene, Oregon. The throw was more than eight feet farther than her NCAA West preliminary competition qualifying mark of 152 feet, 11 inches.
Lyssy came into the meet seeded 42nd in the event. Making her first trip to the NCAA finals, she brings the total number of Bearkat women to qualify for the national outdoor championships to 10. Two were javelin specialists. Signe Bech represented Sam Houston in 2004 with a 17th place finish. School record holder Roshunda Betts placed 26th in 2005 and earned All-America honors with a fifth place finish in 2006. Betts was inducted into the Sam Houston athletic Hall of Honor last fall. Lyssy's throw Friday stands as the longest by any Kat female except Betts.
Thursday's opening day at the University of Kansas was washed out by rain storms.
Other action for the Bearkats Friday included a 16th place finish by Justin Jenkins in the 100 meter dash. The senior from Dickinson posted a time of 10.43 seconds just a tenth of a second short of the final qualifying time for Eugene of 10.33.
Kalvin Singletary placed 23rd in the men's hammer with a throw of 193 feet, eight inches. Camry Grigsby finished 26th in the women's 800 meters with a time of 2:09.41. Jeffrey Moore was 33rd in the men's 800 meters with a clocking of 1:51.42. Ruth Amaku also was 33rd for the women in the 400 meter hurdles with a mark of 59..96 seconds. Paula Smith was 46th in the long jump with a mark of 17 feet, eight and and one quarter inches.
Ten women and nine men are representing Sam Houston in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field West Preliminary Competition. The top 12 finishers in each event advance to Eugene.
