Cyclones Earn Four More Spots Into NCAA Championships

05.25.2012 | Track and Field

AUSTIN, Texas – Iowa State's track and field teams added four qualifiers for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Friday evening at the NCAA West Preliminary. Kianna Elahi and Ese Okoro each made the top-12 in the women's 400-meter hurdles, Ian Warner qualified for the men's 100-meter dash and Edward Kemboi is in the men's 800-meter run for the national meet June 6-9 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

The Cyclones now have seven guaranteed competitors for the national championships in two weeks, as Friday's quartet joins Thursday qualifiers Hayli Bozarth and Danielle Frere in the women's shot put and Meaghan Nelson in the women's 10,000-meter run.

Iowa State's two qualifiers in the women's 400-meter hurdles had contrasting avenues to getting their entries to Des Moines. Elahi took care of business in her heat, crossing the line first in 57.34, the third-fastest time of the round.

Okoro had to play the waiting game, and it was a nervous wait at that. The junior finished fifth in the first of the three heats with a time of 58.10. The top three in each heat plus the next three fastest times across all heats would get to run again in Des Moines. Okoro's one-runner cushion was gone after the second heat, meaning she would need the fourth-place finisher in heat three to be slower than her. She got just that as fourth in the final heat clocked in at 58.17, giving Okoro the final ticket to Drake Stadium in the 400-meter hurdles.

Prior to going to Austin, Warner said his focus was to control his own fate and ensure his spot in Des Moines. After just missing out on the NCAA Championships last season, Warner grabbed his spot in the field with a third-place 10.25 in his heat, eighth overall. Warner also competed in the 200-meter run later that evening, but could not get in the top-27 for another run Saturday with his 40th place finish in 21.70.

Kemboi continued his pursuit of back-to-back All-America honors in the 800-meter run with another comfortable race, taking second in his heat and sixth among the field in 1:48.85.

Donnise Powell also competed in the women's 400-meter hurdles, finishing in a tie for 21st with a time of 59.78, only .03 seconds off her season-best mark. Zack Richards took 20th place in the men's hammer throw with a toss of 193-0, missing out on the top-16 and three more opportunities to throw by a few feet. Akeem Holmes finished 19th in the men's triple jump, recording a season-best jump of 50-5 ½.

Competition wraps up tomorrow with the throwing trio of Hayli Bozarth, Danielle Frere and Laishema Hampton taking part in the women's hammer throw at 2 p.m. CDT. Derek Alderks and Cameron Ostrowski's men's high jump competition sets off at 5:30 p.m. The men's 4x100-meter relay squad will be Iowa State's first running event at 6 p.m. Rico Loy goes in the men's 5,000-meter run at 8:05 p.m. with Katie Moen following in the women's 5,000 at 8:45 p.m. The competition wraps up with the women's 4x400 meter-relay squad at 9:45 p.m.

Men's Results
100-meter dash: 1. Andrew Riley (Illinois), 10.03; 8. Ian Warner (Iowa State), 10.25
200-meter dash: 1. Ameer Webb (Texas A&M), 20.20; 40. Ian Warner (Iowa State), 21.70
800-meter run: 1. Ricky West (Missouri), 1:46.65; 6. Edward Kemboi (Iowa State), 1:48.85
Hammer Throw: 1. Alec Faldermeyer (UCLA), 219-11; 20. Zack Richards (Iowa State), 193-0
Triple Jump: 1. Chris Benard (Arizona State), 54-10 ¾; 19. Akeem Holmes (Iowa State), 50-5 ½

Women's Results
400-meter hurdles: 1. Georganne Moline (Arizona), 56.42; 3. Kianna Elahi (Iowa State), 57.34; 12. Ese Okoro (Iowa State), 58.10; T-21. Donnise Powell (Iowa State), 59.78