Rotich Advances to 1500-Meter Finals

SACRAMENTO, Calif - Cyclone track athletes David Rotich and Sara Boisen competed in Thursday's prelim events. Both Rotich and Boisen made their first appearance at the NCAA national championships.

Men's track standout Rotich submitted his bid for All-American Thursday in the 1500-meter run. The senior, competing in his final meet as a Cyclone, leaned across the finish line in a packed crowd to clock a time of 3:42.04. Rotich's effort advanced him on to Saturday's final run. Men's head coach Steve Lynn said the race was tight.

"The entire race was fast paced," Lynn said. "In the last 150-meters Colorado's (Stephen) Pifer fell down and David was next to him. It threw David off a little. Today's race was tight, Saturday's final should be a great race."

Junior Boisen made her run at the NCAA national championships on Thursday. The 400 hurdler's effort of 1:00.01 fell just short of qualifying her for Friday's semi-finals. Boisen's season highlights include a seasons best clocking of 59.20 at the Michael Johnson Classic and third-place finishes at both the Big 12 outdoor championships and the NCAA regional meet.

Scheduled to compete Friday is senior Erica Lynn. The heptathlete will attempt to achieve All-American status in her final meet as a Cyclone. Heptathlon events will kickoff tomorrow at noon CDT. Results and recaps will be available at the end of competition at www.cyclones.com.