Eastern Michigan University sent a total of 13 participants to the NCAA Division-I 2011 Outdoor Track and Field Championships-East Preliminary – seven from the women’s team and six from the men’s. The events were held on May 26-28 in Bloomington, Indiana, but after three days of events, just one of the Eagles was left standing.
The Regional Preliminaries are reserved for athletes who have posted one of the top 48 times and distances in their respective event (top 24 for relays) over the course of the season, and top performers at the regional championship advance to the NCAA Championship, which will be held from June 9-11 in Des Moines, Iowa.
On the women’s side, the highest seed went to Jessica Hemmingway. The senior co-captain and pole vault specialist set a school record as she posted the seventh-best vault in the nation at the Mt. SAC Relays in California by clearing a height of 13-11.25.
Hemmingway was the only Eagle to advance to nationals and will look to become the women’s first NCAA Champion since Lela Nelson in the heptathlon in 2005.
Shantavia Williams qualified as the No. 37 seed in the 400-meter after recording a time of 54.24, and a time of 23.86 in the 200-meter dash qualified Ashlee Abraham as the No. 47 seed. Beverly Elcock was seeded at No. 40 in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:08.22, while Rosie White qualified at the No.34 seed in the long jump with a distance of 19-11.75.
EMU’s 4×400-meter relay team also qualified for the preliminaries as it seeded No. 23 with a time of 3:39.76. The team featured Elcock, Williams, Asia Rawls and Dejaa Shearer.
In the end, Abraham finished 27th overall in the 200-meter dash, just three spots behind the last qualifier. The 4×400-meter relay team finished in 6th place in their heat with a time of 3:38.85, less than two and a half seconds behind the final qualifier in their heat. The team placed 17th overall.
For the men, freshman Brycen Spratling earned the highest seed at No. 20 in the 400-meter dash with a time of 46.65. Senior co-captain Clint Allen seeded No. 23 in the 100-meter dash, recording a time of 10.34. The No. 44 seed in the shot put went to Andrew Mayer who tossed the 16-pound apparatus 55-04.75. Terefe Eligu seeded No. 22 in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:00.00.
Donald Scott, who competed in just four events, was given the No. 25 seed in the triple jump, clearing a distance of 50-08.25. Lastly, freshman Max Babits earned the No. 47 seed in the pole vault as he cleared a distance of 16-04.75.
At the end of their events, Scott finished in 35th place with a jump of 48-04.50 and Babits went without recording a height that day.
Moving forward, Hemmingway will compete in the national championship, which is scheduled to begin on June 8th in Des Moines, Iowa.
