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May 26, 2006

Results |  Photo Gallery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Cleo Tyson rocketed to meet and school records in the 100-meter dash prelims to highlight a very impressive Friday for the 15th-ranked University of Tennessee women at the NCAA Mideast Regional Track & Field Championships at UT's Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium.

The Lady Vols, who were unable to score in two final events on day one, did advance eight athletes and a relay to the final day of action. Additionally, the Big Orange will have two athletes in the hammer throw, one in the pole vault, one in the discus, one in the triple jump and an entry in the 4x400m relay on Saturday, as Team Orange attempts to maximize its travel party for the NCAA Outdoor Championships next month in Sacramento.

"That's the idea, to try to get people to go to Sacramento," Clark said. "We had some personal bests, a school record and some heat winners. We're just looking to come back tomorrow and make sure we're in the top five to secure spots for the national meet. We need to line up and get it done."

On the strength of finishes of first and sixth in the day-ending 5000 meters, Notre Dame stands in first place with 19 points through five events scored, with by Alabama (18), Akron and Purdue (16) and Michigan (14) rounding out the top five.

Tyson, a sophomore from Huntsville, Texas, capitalized on a fortuitous legal wind reading of 1.8 meters per second at her back while the other three heats were above the legal limit of 2.0, unleashing a career-best performance of 11.10 seconds. That outburst, which bettered her 11.24 result on May 14 at the Southeastern Conference Championships, broke the 2003 Mideast Regional mark of 11.22 by Indiana.s Rachelle Boone and crushed the 1999 Lady Vol standard of 11.20 by Kelli White.

Tyson, who was second at this meet a year ago in the 100 meters and won the 200 meters, will enter Saturday.s 6:25 p.m. final with a qualifying time that ties for ninth-fastest in the world this season and is sixth among American women and fifth in the NCAA. Tyson is an eight-time All-American during her brief career in orange.

Classmate Courtney Champion also ran a quality race in the straight sprint, clicking to a personal-best time of 11.47 in the 100m prelims and finishing third in Tyson's heat. Despite that outstanding effort, though, Champion came up just short of advancing with her ninth-place showing.

Tyson and Champion also ran in the 200-meter prelims later in the evening, and the outcome was hauntingly familiar. Tyson punched her ticket for her second individual final at this meet, cruising to the line first in heat three in 23.34. Champion again suffered the agony of winding up ninth, missing Saturday's 7:25 p.m. final by one spot when she finished third in heat four in 23.64, the fastest she has run since wearing the orange.

Lady Vol SEC champion Sarah Bowman cruised to victory in heat one of the 1500-meter run prelims and advanced to the final. The freshman from Warrenton, Va., recorded a time of four minutes, 24.59 seconds and enters Saturday's 5:20 p.m. final with the fastest qualifying time. UT senior Brooke Novak (Kaukauna, Wis.) also moved along, checking in sixth in heat two at 4:33.85 and 11th of the 12 qualifiers.

The 4x100m relay combination of Champion,Tyson, sophomore LaTonya Loche (Bastrop, La.) and senior Patricia Hall (St. Ann, Jamaica) earned a lane in Saturday's final with their second-best time this season. Their readout of 43.87 seconds easily won heat one and stood as the fastest effort of the preliminary round. They will run in the finals at 5 p.m. Saturday.

In the 400 meter prelims, Hall put herself into position to repeat her Mideast Regional title of a year ago. Her 52.88 trip around the oval won heat two and was second best of those who will run in Saturday's 7:05 p.m. final. Only LSU's Deonna Lawrence was faster, covering the distance in 52.26. Loche, meanwhile, earned herself an opportunity to lasso a trip to the West Coast. Her 53.26 split tied her for seventh among the qualifiers.

Junior Leslie Treherne (Chesapeake, Va.) took care of business in the 800-meter run prelims, knocking out a 2:06.76 count that placed her second in heat four and fourth out of the eight advancers to tomorrow's 6:05 p.m. final. Classmate Mindy Sullivan (Lubbock, Texas) was not as fortunate, winding up 22nd at 2:15.73.

Redshirt freshman Celriece Law also kept alive her hopes for a trip to the NCAA meet in Sacramento, on June 7-10. The native of Denver, Colo., zipped to a 13.21 count in the prelims of the 100-meter hurdles, taking second in heat three and logging the fourth best qualifying time. The effort would have been a career best if not for an illegal tailwind of 2.8 meters per second. She is slated to run in the final at 5:40 p.m. on Saturday.

Freshman Leah Soro of Knoxville's West High School was one of two Lady Vols attempting to get Tennessee on the board on Friday. Unfortunately, she was unable to attain that goal. Her 17:22.80 clocking placed her 17th out of 27 competitors in the 5000-meter run.

In the shot put final, senior April Thomas (Albany, Ga.) was unable to produce an automatic NCAA qualifying throw. Her heave of 48 feet, 6 1/4 inches was good for only 10th place. She stood at 34th nationally entering this competition, so her chances for an at-large bid and repeat appearance at the national championship meet appear very slim.

Saturday.s slate begins at 11 a.m. with the women.s hammer throw and concludes at 8:50 p.m. with the men.s 4x400m relay. For a recap, photo gallery and results from Friday.s action, go to www.utladyvols.com and see the story or click on the NCAA Mideast Regional icon at the bottom of the page.

FRIDAY, MAY 26TH AT THE NCAA MIDEAST REGIONAL
Shot Put Fin. (Regional: 46-11/14.30m) 3:00 p.m.
10th	April Thomas	48-6.25/14.79m
4x100m Relay Pre. (Regional: 45.70) 4:00 p.m.
Adv.	Courtney Champion / Cleo Tyson / LaTonya Loche / Patricia Hall	43.87p/1st, ht. 1
1500m Pre. (Regional: 4:27.80) 4:35 p.m.
Adv.	Sarah Bowman	4:24.89p/1st. ht. 1
Adv.	Brooke Novak	4:33.86p/6th, ht. 2
100m Hurdles Pre. (Regional: 13.92) 5:25 p.m.
Adv.	Celriece Law	13.21pw (w: 2.8)/2nd, ht. 3
800m Pre. (Regional: 2:09.80) 6:10 p.m.
Adv.	Leslie Treherne	2:06.76p/2nd, ht. 4
22nd	Mindy Sullivan	2:15.73p/5th, ht. 2
100m Pre. (Regional: 11.75) 6:40 p.m.
Adv.	Cleo Tyson	11.10p!sm/1st, ht. 2
9th	Courtney Champion	11.47p!/3rd, ht. 2
400m Pre. (Regional: 54.61) 8:00 p.m.
Adv.	Patricia Hall	52.87p/1st, ht. 2
Adv.	LaTonya Loche	53.25p/2nd, ht. 2
200m Pre. (Regional: 23.96) 8:40 p.m.
Adv.	Cleo Tyson	23.34p (w: 1.2)/1st, ht. 3
9th	Courtney Champion	23.64p (w: 2.0)/3rd, ht. 4
5000m Fin. (Regional: 16:52.00) 9:20 p.m.
17th	Leah Soro	17:22.80
SATURDAY, MAY 27TH AT THE NCAA MIDEAST REGIONAL
Hammer Throw Fin. (Regional: 177-8/54.15m) 11:00 a.m.
Shanna Dickenson
Ariel Brooks
Pole Vault Fin. (Regional: 12-5.50/3.80m) 3:00 p.m.
Jessica Reust
Discus Fin. (Regional: 155-2/47.30m) 3:00 p.m.
Shanna Dickenson
4x100m Relay Fin. (Regional: 45.70) 5:00 p.m.
Courtney Champion / Cleo Tyson / LaTonya Loche / Patricia Hall
1500m Fin. (Regional: 4:27.80) 5:20 p.m.
Sarah Bowman
Brooke Novak
100m Hurdles Fin. (Regional: 13.92) 5:40 p.m.
Celriece Law
Triple Jump Fin. (Regional: 40-5/12.32m) 6:00 p.m.
Celriece Law
800m Fin. (Regional: 2:09.80) 6:05 p.m.
Leslie Treherne
100m Fin. (Regional: 11.75) 6:25 p.m.
Cleo Tyson
400m Fin. (Regional: 54.61) 7:05 p.m.
Patricia Hall
LaTonya Loche
200m Fin. (Regional: 23.96) 7:25 p.m.
Cleo Tyson
4x400mR Fin. (Regional: 3:42.00) 8:35 p.m.
LaTonya Loche / Courtney Champion / Cleo Tyson / Patricia Hall