Women's Track and Field 6/9/2010 10:00:00 PM Drake Athletics

Curtis Sets School Mark At NCAA Championships; Earns Provisional Qualifying Mark For USA Championships

EUGENE, ORE. -- Drake junior Ari Curtis (Fort Collins, Colo.) set her fifth school record of the season in the 400 hurdles, but fell short by 18-hundreths of a second in qualifying for the finals at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Wednesday night.

Curtis had to overcome three re-starts in her race before finishing third in heat two of the semifinal round, being clocked in 57.89 seconds to better her previous school record of 57.98 seconds set at the NCAA West Regional in Austin, Texas, last Friday.

"It was probably my best race of the year," said Curtis. "It's hard to be disappointed. Missing the finals is bittersweet but it gives me more fuel in the fire to do well next year."

She owned the 10th fastest overall time out of the 24 runners competing in the event with the top eight advancing into Friday's final.

Virginia Tech's Queen Quedith Harrison posted the fastest qualifying time of 55.35.

On the bright side, Curtis did meet the provisional qualifying standard of 57.95 to compete in the upcoming USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships June 23-27 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

"It was Ari's best race of the year in terms of technically being sound," said Drake assistant coach Kevin Henderson who coaches the hurdles. "She ran pretty much as hard as she could. She beat some of the best hurdlers in the country. This is a stepping stone for her and she is well on her way.

"Our ultimate goal was to get Ari qualified for the USA National Championships which she did. She is to the point where she understands the race and she doesn't back down to anyone."

                  NCAA Division I 2010 Outdoor
                  Track & Field Championships
              Eugene, Or - 6/9/2010 to 6/12/2010

Event 30 Women 400 Meter Hurdles
================================================================
3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2 to final
    American: A 52.61 8/11/1995   Kim Batten, Reebok
College Best: C 53.47 8/29/1991   Janeene Vickers, UCLA
   NCAA Meet: M 53.54 6/13/2004   Sheena Johnson, UCLA
     Hayward: S 53.78 2009        Lashinda Demus, USA
    Name                    Year School                 Prelims
================================================================
Heat 1 Preliminaries
1 Queen Quedith Harrison    SR Virginia Tech            55.35Q
2 Angele Cooper             SO Texas                    56.24Q
3 Erica Moore               SR Indiana State            57.25q
4 Jasmine Chaney            JR Arizona State            57.71q
5 Jernail Hayes             SR Seton Hall               58.38
6 Ellen Wortham             SO Tennessee                59.05
7 Christina Holland         FR Baylor                 1:00.04
8 Donique' Flemings         FR Texas A&M              1:00.60
Heat 2 Preliminaries
1 Ti'erra Brown             JR Miami                    56.02Q
2 Tameka Jameson            JR Miami                    57.16Q
3 Ari Curtis                JR Drake                    57.89
4 Cassandra Tate            SO LSU                      58.12
5 Kianna Elahi              SO Iowa State               58.63
6 Megan Duncan              JR Penn State               58.70
7 Keia Pinnick              FR Arizona State            59.47
8 Andrea Sutherland         JR Texas A&M                59.52
Heat 3 Preliminaries
1 Fawn Dorr                 SR Penn State               56.16Q
2 Takecia Jameson           JR Miami                    57.58Q
3 Dalilah Muhammad          SO Southern California      57.85
4 Brittany Hyter            SO Arkansas                 58.37
5 Latoya Griffith           SO Illinois                 58.95
6 LaToya James              JR North Carolina           58.97
7 Georganne Moline          FR Arizona                  59.39
8 Evonne Britton            FR Penn State             1:00.12
================================================================
3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2 to final
    American: A 52.61 8/11/1995   Kim Batten, Reebok
College Best: C 53.47 8/29/1991   Janeene Vickers, UCLA
   NCAA Meet: M 53.54 6/13/2004   Sheena Johnson, UCLA
     Hayward: S 53.78 2009        Lashinda Demus, USA
    Name                    Year School                 Prelims
================================================================
Preliminaries
1 Queen Quedith Harrison    SR Virginia Tech            55.35Q
2 Ti'erra Brown             JR Miami                    56.02Q
3 Fawn Dorr                 SR Penn State               56.16Q
4 Angele Cooper             SO Texas                    56.24Q
5 Tameka Jameson            JR Miami                    57.16Q
6 Takecia Jameson           JR Miami                    57.58Q
7 Erica Moore               SR Indiana State            57.25q
8 Jasmine Chaney            JR Arizona State            57.71q
9 Dalilah Muhammad          SO Southern California      57.85
10 Ari Curtis                JR Drake                    57.89
11 Cassandra Tate            SO LSU                      58.12
12 Brittany Hyter            SO Arkansas                 58.37
13 Jernail Hayes             SR Seton Hall               58.38
14 Kianna Elahi              SO Iowa State               58.63
15 Megan Duncan              JR Penn State               58.70
16 Latoya Griffith           SO Illinois                 58.95
17 LaToya James              JR North Carolina           58.97
18 Ellen Wortham             SO Tennessee                59.05
19 Georganne Moline          FR Arizona                  59.39
20 Keia Pinnick              FR Arizona State            59.47
21 Andrea Sutherland         JR Texas A&M                59.52
22 Christina Holland         FR Baylor                 1:00.04
23 Evonne Britton            FR Penn State             1:00.12
24 Donique' Flemings         FR Texas A&M              1:00.60