June 11, 2008

Results from the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

DES MOINES - George Mason junior Murielle Ahoure began the Patriots' competition at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Wednesday afternoon, but she was unable to advance past the preliminaries in the 100-meter dash at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

Ahoure ran in the second of four heats in the preliminary round. Running out of lane three, the Bristow, Va., native recorded a time of 12.17, finishing sixth in her heat and 29th overall. The top three from each heat, along with the next four best times advanced to the semifinals, which are to be held at 7 p.m. later this evening.

Florida's Lakecia Ealey, the East Regional champion in the 100, ran the fastest time of the round, completing the event in 11.53. The four time qualifiers in the event all came out of the last of the four heats.

Last season, Ahoure reached the semi-final round before succumbing to a leg injury at the event in Sacramento, Calif. This was the third straight season that she has competed at the national championships. Her best time of the 2008 season in the event came two weeks ago in the preliminaries at the East Regionals, when she crossed the finish line in 11.45.

The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships continue through Saturday evening. Ahoure will next be in action tomorrow at 5:10 p.m. (6:10 p.m. EDT) in the preliminaries for the 200-meter dash. The semi-finals for that event are scheduled for 6:35 p.m. local time.

Mason's Ryan McCoy will begin his quest for the NCAA title on Friday when the men's triple jump qualifying round begins at 4:15 p.m. (5:15 p.m. EDT).