Two Memphis Individuals Compete at NCAA Regional

Competition began Friday at the NCAA Mid-Eastern Track & Field Regional hosted by Louisiana State University at Bernie Moore Track Stadium. Freshman Larry Harris and Senior Ivan Williams both competed on day one.

Harris finished fifth in his heat with a time of 53.11 in the 400m hurdles. He did not advance to the finals of the 400m hurdles, but ended his splendid freshman campaign with his second best time of the year.

"It was a great experience for Larry (Harris) to compete here as a freshman against this quality competition, said Memphis Assistant Coach Kevin Robinson. "This was a great ending to a great season for him."

Maurice Bridges of Arkansas won Harris's heat in the 400m hurdles with a time of 50.78. A duo if Illinois hurdlers ran the top times as Abraham Reed-Jones (50.54) and Adrian Walker (50.61) topped the field. Harris earned a spot in the NCAA Regional when he ran a personal best 52.37 at the Mississippi Invitational on April 17. Harris became the first Tiger freshman to compete in an NCAA Regional since the NCAA moved to the format in 2003. In 2003, Istvan Kerekjarto qualified for the Tigers in the 800m and 1500m but did not compete due to a knee injury. Harris, a walk on from Cordova HS, is the fifth Tiger freshman to compete in the postseason and first since 1994. He joins Paul Bannon (1973), Reuben Fairfax (1974), Victor Lacey (1982) and Austin Dickinson (1994) as Tiger freshmen that qualified and competed in the postseason.





Williams wrapped up his career as a Memphis Tiger with a time of 21.44 in the 200m. Williams (Mt. Zion, Ga.) placed fifth in his heat and failed to advance to the finals.

"That was a wonderful finish to a stellar career for Ivan (Williams)," said Robinson. "This is by far the toughest region for sprinters and for Ivan to run a 21.44, not far off his personal best, is a great effort."

Williams qualified for the meet when he ran a personal best time of 21.05 at the Bulldog Invitational on March 27. Arkansas dominated the men's 200m as Wallace Spearmon (20.25), Tyson Gay (20.27) and Omar Brown (20.36) ran the top three times respectively in the 200m preliminaries.

On Saturday, three Memphis athletes will be in action. Senior Gaute Myklebust (Sand, Norway) will compete in the discus throw at 6 p.m. Myklebust enters the competition as the favorite with a Mid-East region best mark of 60.85m. He holds the school record in the event and will look to advance to the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row. Junior Victoria Crawford (Birmingham, Ala.) will compete in the triple jump at 6 p.m. Crawford enters the event ranked 17th with a personal best mark of 12.52m that she attained at the C-USA Outdoor Championships on May 15. Crawford is the lone Lady Tiger competing in this weekend's regional. Senior Mate Nemeth (Szekszard, Hungary) will run in the 3000m Steeplechase at 7:30 p.m. Nemeth holds the Memphis school record in the event at 8:37.53 that he ran at the Stanford Invitational in 2003. His personal best in 2004 is 8:45.88 (Cardinal Invitational, May 1). Nemeth enters the race as the fourth seed. He is trying to advance to the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year.

Results of the meet can be found here at www.gotigersgo.com and you can follow the meet with live scoring on www.lsusports.net.


Louisiana State University T&F
NCAA Division I 2004 Outdoor
Track & Field MidEast Regional
Baton Rouge, Louisiana - 5/28/2004 to 5/29/2004

Event 2 Men 200 Meter Dash
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American: A 19.32 8/1/1996 Michael Johnson, Nike
College Best: C 19.75 9/28/1988 Joe DeLoach, Houston
MidEast Regn: M 20.80 5/30/2003 Marquis Davis, Mississippi St
Bernie Moore: B 19.98 2002 Justin Gatlin, Tennessee
Name Year School Prelims
================================================================
Heat 1 Wind: 2.4
1 Omar Brown SO Arkansas 20.36Q
2 David Neville SO Indiana 20.98
3 Dallas Robinson JR Eastern Kentucky 21.04
4 Jamie Goodwin SO Akron 21.14
5 Ivan Williams SR Memphis 21.44
-- Jeremy Bateman JR Alabama State DNS
Heat 2 Wind: 2.7
1 Wallace Spearmon FR Arkansas 20.25Q
2 Troy Lewis SR Louisiana Tech 20.90q
3 Jonathan Wade SO Tennessee 20.91q
4 Arthur Davis FR Mississippi State 21.12
5 Nick Horton SR Tennessee State 21.24
Heat 3 Wind: 3.8
1 Mardy Scales SR MTSU 20.49Q
2 Curtis Thompson SO Alabama State 20.77q
3 Kenny Wade JR Cincinnati 20.87q
4 Jvontai Hanserd JR Wisconsin 21.19
5 Pedro Holiday SO MTSU 21.78
6 Brandon Cook SO Butler 22.36
Heat 4 Wind: 2.5
1 Tyson Gay JR Arkansas 20.27Q
2 Joel Brown SR Ohio State 20.84q
3 Le' Tra Lewis SR Mississippi Valley 21.09
4 Terrance Wills JR New Orleans 21.75
-- Rynelle Joseph JR Alabama State DNF
-- Sean Lambert SR Tennessee DNS
========================================================================
Name Year School Prelims Wind H#
========================================================================
Preliminaries
1 Wallace Spearmon FR Arkansas 20.25Q 2.7 2
2 Tyson Gay JR Arkansas 20.27Q 2.5 4
3 Omar Brown SO Arkansas 20.36Q 2.4 1
4 Mardy Scales SR MTSU 20.49Q 3.8 3
5 Curtis Thompson SO Alabama State 20.77q 3.8 3
6 Joel Brown SR Ohio State 20.84q 2.5 4
7 Kenny Wade JR Cincinnati 20.87q 3.8 3
8 Troy Lewis SR Louisiana Tech 20.90q 2.7 2
9 Jonathan Wade SO Tennessee 20.91q 2.7 2
10 David Neville SO Indiana 20.98 2.4 1
11 Dallas Robinson JR Eastern Kentucky 21.04 2.4 1
12 Le' Tra Lewis SR Mississippi Valley 21.09 2.5 4
13 Arthur Davis FR Mississippi State 21.12 2.7 2
14 Jamie Goodwin SO Akron 21.14 2.4 1
15 Jvontai Hanserd JR Wisconsin 21.19 3.8 3
16 Nick Horton SR Tennessee State 21.24 2.7 2
17 Ivan Williams SR Memphis 21.44 2.4 1
18 Terrance Wills JR New Orleans 21.75 2.5 4
19 Pedro Holiday SO MTSU 21.78 3.8 3
20 Brandon Cook SO Butler 22.36 3.8 3
-- Rynelle Joseph JR Alabama State DNF 4
-- Jeremy Bateman JR Alabama State DNS 1
-- Sean Lambert SR Tennessee DNS 4


Louisiana State University T&F
NCAA Division I 2004 Outdoor
Track & Field MidEast Regional
Baton Rouge, Louisiana - 5/28/2004 to 5/29/2004

Event 10 Men 400 Meter Hurdles
================================================================
American: A 46.78 8/6/1992 Kevin Young, Foot Locker AC
College Best: C 47.10 8/7/1991 Samuel Matete, Auburn
MidEast Regn: M 50.01 5/30/2003 Victor Okorie, Middle Tenness
Bernie Moore: B 48.16 2002 Rickey Harris, Florida
Name Year School Prelims
================================================================
Heat 1
1 Abraham Reed-Jones SO Illinois 50.54Q
2 David Payne SR Cincinnati 51.16q
3 Justin Hunt SR Alcorn State 51.47q
4 Alonzo Nelson SO SE Missouri 51.57
5 Ryan Byrne FR Detroit Mercy 53.41
6 Anthony Young SO Illinois 54.34
Heat 2
1 Adrian Walker SO Illinois 50.61Q
2 Micheal Tinsley FR Jackson State 51.50q
3 Jeremy Burton FR Tennessee 52.08
4 Eddie Larkins SO Southern 52.33
5 Darnell Talbert JR Michigan 53.03
6 Nick Stout SO Central Michigan 53.79
Heat 3
1 Brad Dittoe SO Arkansas 51.94Q
2 Chris Franklin SR Eastern Kentucky 52.03
3 Kurt Kinkead FR Ball State 53.81
4 Victor Okorie JR MTSU 55.54
-- Bennie Brazell JR LSU FS
Heat 4
1 Maurice Bridges SR Arkansas 50.78Q
2 Rolandis Nash SR SW Missouri St. 51.39q
2 Jermaine Jones SR Eastern Illinois 51.39q
4 Seth Waits JR Michigan 51.68
5 Larry Harris FR Memphis 53.11
6 Jared Vogler SR Kent State 54.15
===================================================================
Name Year School Prelims H#
===================================================================
Preliminaries
1 Abraham Reed-Jones SO Illinois 50.54Q 1
2 Adrian Walker SO Illinois 50.61Q 2
3 Maurice Bridges SR Arkansas 50.78Q 4
4 Brad Dittoe SO Arkansas 51.94Q 3
5 David Payne SR Cincinnati 51.16q 1
6 Rolandis Nash SR SW Missouri St. 51.39q 4
6 Jermaine Jones SR Eastern Illinois 51.39q 4
8 Justin Hunt SR Alcorn State 51.47q 1
9 Micheal Tinsley FR Jackson State 51.50q 2
10 Alonzo Nelson SO SE Missouri 51.57 1
11 Seth Waits JR Michigan 51.68 4
12 Chris Franklin SR Eastern Kentucky 52.03 3
13 Jeremy Burton FR Tennessee 52.08 2
14 Eddie Larkins SO Southern 52.33 2
15 Darnell Talbert JR Michigan 53.03 2
16 Larry Harris FR Memphis 53.11 4
17 Ryan Byrne FR Detroit Mercy 53.41 1
18 Nick Stout SO Central Michigan 53.79 2
19 Kurt Kinkead FR Ball State 53.81 3
20 Jared Vogler SR Kent State 54.15 4
21 Anthony Young SO Illinois 54.34 1
22 Victor Okorie JR MTSU 55.54 3
-- Bennie Brazell JR LSU FS 3