Michigan
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Gall, Edwards Qualify for NCAA Finals; Ofili Sets Records
6/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Site: Des Moines, Iowa (Drake Stadium)
Event: NCAA Outdoor Championships (Day 2)
U-M Team Standing: No Points After Day 2
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., June 13-14 -- at NCAA Outdoor Championships (Des Moines, Iowa)
DES MOINES, Iowa -- On the second day of competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships Thursday (June 12), the University of Michigan women's track and field team advanced senior Nicole Edwards (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey) and junior Geena Gall (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) to Saturday event finals and junior Tiffany Ofili (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti HS) to her event's semifinal round at Drake Stadium on Jim Duncan Track.
Gall advanced to the 800-meter run final with a victory in the first of two semifinal heats, clocking 2:04.02 for the third best time overall. Gall took control of the heat after the first 200 meters and held off a late charge on the backstretch from LSU's Latavia Thomas (2:04.17).
Edwards placed fifth in the opening heat of the 1,500-meter run prelims and missed automatically advancing to the final by one spot. However, she easily advanced as one of the four non-automatic qualifiers as her time (4:16.28) turned out to be more than a second faster than the second heat winner's (4:17.36).
Ofili began defense of her NCAA 100-meter hurdles championship by advancing to the semifinals with a new U-M and Drake Stadium record time of 12.73. She will race in the semifinals at 7:55 p.m. CDT Friday.
In the 400-meter hurdles, junior Katie LaValley (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Central) finished sixth in her semifinal heat and 13th overall with a time of 58.70.
The Wolverines will return to action tomorrow (Friday, June 13) for the third day of competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Joining Ofili will be junior co-captain Bettie Wade (Northville, Mich./Farmington HS), who will begin the first four events in the heptathlon at 1 p.m. CDT. CBS College Sports Network (formerly CSTV) will provide live coverage beginning at 7 p.m. CDT.
U-M Results (Day 2)
100-meter Hurdles (Prelims) Heat 1 1. Tiffany Ofili, U-M 12.73Q# 400-meter Hurdles (Semifinals) Heat 2 1. Nicole Leach, UCLA 55.98Q 6. Katie LaValley, U-M 58.70 800-meter Run (Semifinals) Heat 1 1. Geena Gall, U-M 2:04.02Q 1,500-meter Run (Prelims) Heat 1 1. Brie Felnagle, North Carolina 4:15.56Q 5. Nicole Edwards, U-M 4:16.28q Qq qualified for next round # Drake Stadium record
Q U O T E S
Michigan Junior Tiffany Ofili
On the 100m hurdles records... "I just wanted to go out there and do my best, that's how I enter every race. I wouldn't consider it pressure but motivation to do better."
Players Mentioned
