Four Spartans Set To Compete At NCAA Championships
6/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
June 4, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
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The Michigan State track and field team travels to the NCAA Championship Meet, hosted by Sacramento State this week. The four-day event will be held at the Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif., June 6-9 and will feature 544 athletes from each gender competing for a national title in their respective events.
Michigan State will send four athletes, three females and one male, to compete in three different events. Nicole Bush and Sarah Price automatically qualified for the 3,000-meter steeplechase and Alissa McKaig earned an at-large bid into the 5,000-meter run. On the men's side, Jonathon Allen also received an at-large bid in the triple jump.
Each running event will consist of a semifinal and final heat, and the triple jump will have a qualifying and final flight. The 3,000-meter steeplechase will consist of two heats with the top-five finishers in each heat, plus the next four times advancing to the finals. In the 5,000-meter run, there will also be two heats with the top-six finishers in each heat, plus the next four times advancing to the final. In the triple jump, the 12 best jumps proceed to Saturday's finals flight.
The 2007 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be televised live on Saturday, June 9 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EST) on CBS.
Jonathon Allen
Sophomore Jonathon Allen makes his way to the Championships after earning an at-large bid. The triple jumper finished in sixth place at the NCAA Mideast Regionals with a leap of 15.69 meters (51-5 3/4). He finished in second place at the Big Ten Championships, breaking his own school record with a mark of 15.87 meters (52-1), earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors. Allen is seeded No. 13 for the competition.
Nicole Bush
Junior Nicole Bush will make her second consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The 2006 All-American had two second-place finishes this year at the Big Ten Championships (10:03.89) and at the Regional (10:10.35) competition, earning Second Team All-Big Ten and All-Regional honors. Bush is seeded ninth in her race.
Alissa McKaig
Sophomore Alissa McKaig received an at-large bid for the 5,000-meter run, after falling two places short of automatically qualifying at the Mideast Regionals. McKaig posted the fastest time (16:20.70) of any Spartan during the outdoor season in the event, and finished in second place. McKaig is seeded 20th in the 5,000-meter run.
Sarah Price
Sophomore Sarah Price received her first automatic bid to the NCAA Championships after finishing in fourth place with a personal-best time (10:22.17) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Mideast Regionals. Price has steadliy improved each week of the outdoor season with a personal-best time and is seeded No. 25 at this week's race.
Players Mentioned
