May 25, 2012
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Six members of the Auburn track and field team earned berths to the semifinals in their respective events in two weeks at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa with their performances on Friday at Hodges Stadium in the 2012 NCAA East Prelim.
"The biggest thing from the first two days is that our key people are doing what they have to do here," Auburn head coach Ralph Spry said. "This is a tough meet. There is no easy road here to the finals. Everybody is running well. Everyone is getting sharp. I'm really pleased. Maya Pressley got through in the high jump. The sprints really couldn't have gone any better. They ran fast and looked good. There is a big buzz going around about Auburn sprinters here. Kai Selvon did great in the women's sprints and CeCe Williams got through also. One more day to go and we've got to come back ready to go on Saturday."
Maya Pressley (High Jump), Kai Selvon (100m) and CeCe Williams (400m) will each compete for a national title on the women's side. Men's program members Harry Adams (100m), Keenan Brock (100m) and Marcus Rowland (100m) each secured berths in addition to Thursday qualifier Stephen Saenz (discus).
With one day of competition remaining, Auburn has had seven individuals earn passage to Des Moines.
Rowland recorded his fastest time in the 100 meters since the 2010 SEC Outdoor Championships with a mark of 10.19 seconds that earned him a spot in Des Moines. He will be joined by teammates Brock and Adams, who finished 1-2 in a photo finish in the second heat.
Brock nipped Adams by the slimmest of margins 10.262-10.265 as they earned automatic bids to the semifinals. Auburn and Florida State will both have three men in the 100m semis, while Virginia Tech will send two sprinters.
All three Auburn men will also compete in the quarterfinals of the 200 meters on Saturday after posting qualifying marks in the preliminary round on Friday night. Joining the trio will be senior Michael DeHaven (season-best 20.79) who finished third in his heat to advance to Sunday's quarterfinals.
Adams won the fourth 200-meter heat in 20.51 seconds. In the second heat, Brock (20.53) and Rowland (20.55) were second and third, respectively.
In the women's 100m quarters, Selvon finished third in the second heat in 11.44 seconds to secure her spot in the next round. Sophomore Alycia Prior (11.58, new PR) and V'alonee Robinson (11.79) ended their 100m seasons with solid performances.
Selvon won the sixth heat of the women's 200m in a season-best time of 23.12. She moved on to Sunday's quarterfinals, where she will attempt to double-qualify as an individual for the national championships for the first time in her career.
Krystal Bodie, a senior, punched her ticket for the quarterfinal round thanks to a time of 13.32 seconds and a third-place finish in her heat. The native of Nassau, Bahamas recorded her fastest time since the War Eagle Invitational in April 2010.
Freshman Samantha Scarlett wrapped up her first season on The Plains with a mark of 13.67 seconds, as she placed 6th in the third heat.
Also making the trip to Des Moines, Iowa after placing third in her heat in the women's 400 meters is Williams. Her mark of 52.38 was just .02 seconds off her PR mark from the SEC Championships. The berth to the NCAA Championships marks the second-straight year the senior has advanced in the 400m and her third trip overall.
Pressley will make the trip to the NCAA Championships for the third-straight year in the high jump after clearing the bar at 5-11.25 (1.81m). Teammate Monica Carney finished 18th in the event with a top mark of 5-9.75 (1.77m) and did not advance.
Action wraps up in Jacksonville on Saturday. The final day of competition begins for Auburn with the men's high jump and shot put at 4 p.m. CT. The Tigers will open action on the track at 5 p.m. CT with the men's 4x100m relay. For the latest on Auburn track and field, follow @AUTrack on Twitter.