Track and Field Begins Action at 2006 NCAA Mideast Regional Meet – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
May 26, 2006
Results
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in the first day of the 2006 NCAA Mideast Regional Championships Friday at the University of Tennessee’s LaPorte Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. Several Buckeye sprinters turned in top times in their respective qualifying heats to reach the final events Saturday.
The sprinting tandem of junior Jenna Harris and freshman Ayrizanna Favours proved to be the highlight performers for Ohio State Friday. Harris clocked the sixth-fastest time in the 200-meter dash, a career-best 23.51, to earn a spot in the finals Saturday. Favours nabbed the fifth-best time in the 400m at 53.52 and will run in the event finals tomorrow as well. Both Favours and Harris will vie for a bid to the national champoinships tomorrow. Each will need a Top 5 finish to gain a berth to the NCAA meet. Harris also ran in the 100m dash, but failed to reach in the finals (11.68).
The men’s track squad had a pair of freshmen in the 400-meter hurdles in Matt Comer and Elon Simms. Unfortunately, both failed to gain a spot in the finals as both finished outside the Top 9. In the relays, the men’s 4×100-meter relay also failed to make the finals with a time of 41.47.
In the jumps, three-time Big Ten champion Jessica Stringer saw her quest to reach All-America status in both the indoor and outdoor women’s high jump this season come to an end in a jump off. The junior from Williamsburg, Ind., narrowly missed a spot in the Top 5, finishing in a tie for sixth at 5 feet, 9 1/4 inches.
In throwing events, a trio of Buckeyes competed in the women’s shot put. Three-time All-American and recent Big Ten Medal of Honor winner Keturah Lofton heaved a season-best mark of 49-6 and took ninth. Freshmen Veronica Jatsek was 11th at 48-5 and Janine Zylinski took 23rd at 45-9. In the men’s hammer, sophomore David Ebersole tossed a career-best mark of 189-6 to finish 13th, four spots ahead of teammate Lenny Jatsek and his 17th-place effort of 181-0. Team scores and complete results are available at http://68.156.229.10/~other/track/06ncaa-mer/results/.
Regional competition resumes Saturday at 11 a.m. with the women’s hammer throw.
