June 9, 2009
Fayetteville, AR - A quartet of Cal State Fullerton Titans will begin competing Wednesday in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Senior high jumper Johnathan Golden has qualified for a fourth time and is joined by two-time participant senior Garrett Myers, a triple jumper, and first-timers junior Jameena Hunt in the women's discus and sophomore Lauren Williams in the women's 100 meter hurdles.
"This is a historic year for Titan Track," said Head Coach John Elders. "Johnathan qualifying all four years is an amazing feat. There is so much that can go wrong in an event like the high jump, and it is a credit to John's athleticism and determination that he was able to qualify again this year.
"It's also very exciting to have Jameena and Lauren be the first female athletes to represent our program at the NCAA Championships in 14 years. Last, but not least, Garrett is only one of four CSF athletes (with Golden, pole vaulter Giovanni Lanaro and 1970s 6-miler Mark Covert) to qualify multiple times to the NCAA meet. The most gratifying thing to me is that these are all great kids who have been great representatives of our track & field program and university."
Golden is tied for the 16th seed with eight other high jumpers at 7 feet, one-half inch. Golden, who jumps in the prelims on Wednesday, will have a great chance to advance to the final (Friday) and earn All-American honors. His personal best is 7 feet, 2 1/2 inches from 2008. He is the first Titan to qualify for Div. I nationals four times.
Hunt is the No. 11 seed in the discus after a 14-foot improvement at the NCAA Regional meet. Her prelims are Thursday with the finals on Saturday.
After placing second in the West Region and running a blistering 13.22 in the regional prelims, Williams enters the national meet as one of the hottest hurdlers in the country and is seeded No. 13. There are three rounds in the 100 Hurdles beginning with a first round on Thursday, semifinals on Friday and the finals on Saturday.
Hunt and Williams are the first CSF female athletes to qualify for the NCAA Championships since Heather Killeen qualified for the 10000m in 1995.
After a clutch fifth-place performance at the West Region meet, Myers heads to the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row in the triple jump. Although seeded last in the field of 26, Myers is peaking at the right time and has the potential to advance to the final. Prelims are Friday with the finals on Saturday.
The top 12 advance to the field event finals. In the high jump it will be no less than 12 and no more than 16. The top nine advance in the 100 hurdles. The top eight American citizens earn All-American honors.