The Missouri State track and field team has concluded Friday’s first day of competition at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Mideast Regional in Columbia, Mo. MSU freshman Leander Ernest was one of three Bears to compete in the preliminary rounds and will represent Missouri State in Saturday’s 800-meter run final.
Ernest set a new personal best in the 800 meters, posting a time of 2:06.33 to qualify for Saturday’s final. The St. Lucia native finished fourth in the first heat, but finished the preliminary round with the sixth-fastest time overall to earn a trip to the final. Ernest narrowly missed the Missouri State school record in the 800m, held by Augustina Charles with a top performance of 2:06.30 in 1999.
Missouri State senior sprinter Genna Williams also took part in the preliminary rounds Friday in Columbia. The MSU record-holder in the 100-meter dash, Williams finished 27th in the same event with a time of 12.56.
Senior multi-events specialist Kim Carter also saw her MSU career come to a close Friday at the Mideast Regional. Coming off a second-place finish at the MVC Outdoor Championships two weeks ago, Carter finished 15th overall in the long jump with a leap of 5.66 meters (18-7).
On Saturday, sophomore distance runner Jamie Vest will become the fourth Missouri State athlete to take part in the regional when she competes in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The Lebanon, Mo., native captured silver in the event at the Valley meet in Des Moines and posted a personal-best time of 10:40.55 at the John McDonnell Invitational in April.
To qualify for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships, a track and field athlete must place in the top five in a regional event. A student-athlete may also compete at the national meet through an at-large pool that consists of the top regional finishers outside of the top five spots in a given event.
The 2007 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held Wednesday through Saturday, June 6-9, in Sacramento, Calif.
Saturday’s competition will kick off with the field events, beginning at 11 a.m. The running events are slated to begin at 4 p.m. at Audrey J. Walton Stadium.
