SACRAMENTO, Calif. - South Alabama junior Tonny Okello finished fifth in Heat-1 of the 5000m semifinals to advance to the finals scheduled for Friday at 8:30 p.m. (CT). The Mideast Regional runner-up becomes the first Jaguar to advance to a National final in an individual race since the late David Kimani in 2000.
Okello was in the lead with about three laps to go in the 3.1-mile race and held on to finish in 14:03.88, his second-fastest time ever. The only two-time cross country All-American in school history was 10th overall between the two heats. Richard Kiplagat of Iona won the Heat-1 in 14:02.21, while Shadrack Songok of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi took Heat-2 in 13:55.32.
"I felt good tonight, " Okello said, "I think I can do well in the finals. I plan to give it my best on Friday."
Sun Belt Conference record-holder Ajoke Odumosu, whose 56.32 is the fifth fastest time in the nation, will face the first of three rounds in the 400m hurdles at 6:10 p.m. on Thursday. Odumosu is in Heat 3 of the five heats, where her toughest competition looks to be freshman Nicole Leach of UCLA (season's best - 56.65 - sixth fastest collegiate time). The top-2 finishers in each heat plus the next six fastest times will advance to the next round. The semifinals are scheduled for 8:10 p.m. (CT) on Friday. The championship race will begin at 2:52 p.m. (CT) on Saturday.
Vincent Rono, the Mideast Regional Champion at 1500m, will line up in Heat 1 of 2 the metric mile on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. (CT). Rono is undefeated in six races at this distance this year. The junior will face-off against No.1 ranked Stephen Pifer of Colorado (3:40.70), ACC champion, Tom Lancashire of Florida State (3:41.63), and Midwest Region champion Leonel Manzano, the sophmore from Texas (3:42.86). The top-4 finishers and the next four best times will advance to the finals set for 4:04 p.m. (CT) on Saturday.
The 2006 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships will feature 4½ hours of live television coverage College Sports Television (CSTV) plans to air two hours of Friday’s competition. CSTV will broadcast two hours of competition (7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Central) on Friday, June 9. CBS earlier announced that it would air 2½ hours of live coverage (2:30 to 5 p.m. Central) on Saturday, June 10, the final day of the four-day collegiate championships.
Outdoor Track and Field Schedule
June 7-10 - NCAA Championships
