June 9, 2009
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Official Site for the 2009 NCAA National Track and Field Championships
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - It was a familiar sight on the opening day of competition at the 2009 NCAA Track and Field Championships Wednesday as pouring rains brought back memories of last year's national meet in Des Moines where the UA track and field team was evacuated from it's hotel do to flooding concerns.
The team still has the same hotel so far, but the inclement weather delayed the opening day of competition in Fayetteville, Ark. as it came down in droves shortly after 7 p.m. Despite the delay, the UA athletes still saw plenty of action beforehand as several punched their tickets past the preliminary rounds of the championship meet.
Zack Lloyd kicked off the 2009 meet in the men's shot put in a relatively undramatic manner. On his first throw of the preliminary round, Lloyd went well over the automatic qualifying mark of 19.10m with his mark of 19.50m (63-11 3/4) to guarantee a spot in tomorrow's final. Lloyd packed it up, passed on his final two attempts and will hit the ring again tomorrow as he hunts for that NCAA title in his last ever collegiate meet.
Not to be outdone, Luis Rivera-Morales - who entered the meet ranked fourth in the nation in the long jump - also earned a spot in tomorrow final on his second jump of the prelim round of 7.85m (25-9 1/4) to finish sixth. He, too, advances to tomorrow's final.
Shortly after Rivera-Morales punched his ticket, senior Megan Howard followed Lloyd's footsteps in the shot put as she had her best throw of the season at 15.88m (52-1 1/4) to earn the 12th and final spot in tomorrow's final. She also hit the mark on her first attempt.
To go along with the ease of the day, juniors Liz Patterson and Jasmin Day needed only one jump at 1.77m (5-9 3/4) to advance to tomorrow's final. Both cleared on their first attempt and when all was said and done at that height, enough athletes had been eliminated to set the field for tomorrow's final.
Two athletes, pole vaulter Gabriella Duclos and 5000-meter runner Irine Lagat, had to withstand the two hour delay before events resumed before they could participate in their respective events. Their results will be updated as soon as they are made available.
The team will be back in action tomorrow with the above athletes competing in their final events while several others open up their championship campaign with day day two of the preliminary rounds.
