Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Alex Wilson Invitational (at Notre Dame)
Thomas Lowers NCAA Qualifying Mark in 60m Hurdles
3/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
March 4, 2006
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Central Michigan University senior Tamera Thomas won the 60m hurdles at the Alex Wilson Invitational, hosted by Notre Dame, in a new school-record time of 8.17 seconds, also helping her chances to qualify for next weekend's NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Arkansas. Thomas' mark was six hundredths of a second faster than her previous school-record and NCAA provisional mark of 8.23 seconds, which she ran just last weekend in winning the event at the Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships at Bowling Green.
"Tamera had a great race in the final," CMU head coach Karen Lutzke said. "She was very focused at the start, and she got out really fast. She's proven herself among the best in the country in that event, and she beat some very good competition today. It looks good for her chances to qualify for the national championships next week."
The official list of qualifiers for the NCAA meet won't be released until Monday morning, but Thomas' time is the 10th-best in the country, according to www.trackshark.com. She did not compete in anything but the hurdles at the Wilson Invite. If her mark stands, it would be her first trip to the indoor national championships meet. She qualified outdoors last season.
Leslie Johnson was the only other Chippewa to compete at the Wilson. She ran a 24.88 in her heat of the 200m, which was not a qualifying mark.
"We wanted to give Leslie the chance to break the school record in the 200m and possibly post and NCAA qualifying mark," Lutzke said. "She ran faster than at the MAC meet last weekend, but she wasn't able to put together a record run today. She's been a stalwart for us, though, and she deserved this opportunity."
The NCAA Indoor Championships are next Friday and Saturday, March 10-11, at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. CMU opens the outdoor season on April 1 back here for the Notre Dame Outdoor Opener.
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