Thursday, 11 June 2009 NCAA Champs, Day 1
Alexandria Anderson (USA) in the heats of the women’s 100m (Getty Images)
relnews Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA – The first day of the four day NCAA championships (10) began with a bang but, after a three-hour rain delay, ended with a whimper.
The women’s 100 metres heats produced an excellent 11.02 sec (+1.4) by Alexandria Anderson of the University of Texas, with seven others at 11.20 or better, all wind-legal. The men’s 100 heats were led by Trindon Holliday, at 10.00 (+1.4), Jacoby Ford, 10.01 (+ 0.9), and D’Angelo Cherry, whose 10.04 (+1.7) puts him third on the all-time world junior list.
Then the rains came, with occasional lightning flashes (NCAA procedures decree that competition must cease until a full half hour after a lightning strike in the vicinity), and the 100m semi-final times reflected the forced interval: Anderson led the women again, with a modest 11.29, while Holliday’s 10.14 was the fastest male. The finals will be held on Friday (12 June), and given those heat times, should be fast.
The 4x100m Relay heats, also run before the rain, were also quick. The women were led by Texas A&M’s 42.93 and Louisiana State’s 43.02, while the men’s heats saw four teams under 39 seconds, led by Texas A&M’s 38.51.
Other excellent antediluvian qualifying performances, all by men – included a 20.91m Shot Put by Ryan Whiting, a barely windy 8.21m long jump by Reindell Cole, and a good-but-windy first day by Oregon’s promising decathlete, Ashton Eaton, who scored 4367pts.
The best apres-deluge performances were in the 400 metres heats. The Borlee twins (BEL), running as Florida State freshmen, led the men. Jonathan ran 45.50 and Kevin 45.88, while Jessica Beard of Texas A&M led the women’s qualifiers with 51.61.
James Dunaway for the IAAF