June 9, 2016

NCAA Championship Results

EUGENE, Ore. -- Missouri State's 4x100-meter relay team turned in one of its best performances of the season here Thursday, posting a time of 45.15 seconds to finish 21st at the NCAA Division I Women's Track & Field Championships.

The Bears' quartet of Asha Cave, Shavonne Husbands, Marissa Kurtimah and Holly Pattie-Belleli posted its second-best time of the year in the national semifinal round. The group entered the meet with the 23rd-best qualifying mark (44.78) in the country after advancing from the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Lawrence, Kan., on May 28.

The team's effort in Eugene ranked ahead of fellow qualifiers Illinois, Oklahoma and Clemson who rounded out the 24-team field at historic Hayward Field. The Bears were competing in the third and final heat of the event, won by USC with a time of 43.39.

Kentucky (43.55), Tennessee (43.66), Purdue (43.99), Mississippi (44.56), South Carolina (44.70) and Harvard (45.03) also ran in MSU's heat. Only the top two teams from each heat, plus the next two fastest times advanced to Saturday's national finals.

It marked the second time in three seasons Missouri State has advanced to the national meet with its 4x100 relay team. In 2014, Chelsey Borders, Pernell Joseph, Althia Maximilien and Husbands finished 20th at the NCAA Championships with a time of 46.00 seconds.

The relay was MSU's only event at the 2016 NCAA meet, bringing to a close a memorable campaign for coach Ron Boyce's club that included a fifth-place finish at the MVC Outdoor Championships, four Academic All-MVC performers and six All-MVC selections

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