Alexander Qualifies For NCAA Finals

March 14, 2008

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FAYETTEVILLE, AR — Senior Kineke Alexander posted the third-fastest time (52.63) in the women’s 400-meter prelims Friday to advance to Saturday’s finals at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, AR. That time was a season-best for the Glenside, St. Vincent and the Grenadines native. Alexander is a six-time all-American in the 400 meters, sharing the school record for most all-America honors earned with former Hawkeye distance runner Nan Doak. An eighth-place or higher finish Saturday would give Alexander the outright school record. She won the indoor 400 meters in 2006, placed second in 2007 and sixth in 2005.

Also competing for the Hawkeye women on Friday was senior distance runner Diane Nukuri. Nukuri placed 12th in the women’s 5,000 meters finals with a time of 16:35.05.

For the Hawkeye men’s squad, junior John Hickey earned all-America honors in the shot put, placing seventh with a throw of 60-8 1/2. The Piermont, NY, native is the first indoor all-American for the Hawkeye men’s team since 2002, and the second Hawkeye to earn all-America honors in the shot put. Former Hawkeye Jeremy Allen was a two-time all-American in that event (2000, 2001).

The Hawkeye women’s team will have three student-athletes competing in Saturday’s NCAA events. Senior Tammilee Kerr will compete in the pentathlon, Alexander will run in the 400-meter finals and senior Meghan Armstrong will run in the 3,000 meters.

Women’s 400-Meter Prelims – Finals Qualifiers
1. Krista Simkins (Miami) 51.95
2. Trish Bartholomew (Alabama) 52.32
3. Kineke Alexander (Iowa) 52.63
4. Jessica Beard (Texas A&M) 52.77
5. Jenna Martin (Kentucky) 53.13
6. Shana Cox (Penn State) 53.37
7. Sheryl Morgan (Nebraska) 53.54
8. Kenyata Coleman (Mississippi) 53.61

Women’s 5,000-Meter Finals – Top Eight Plus Iowa
1. Sally Kipyego (Texas Tech) 15:31.91
2. Lisa Koll (Iowa State) 15:54.90
3. Maddie McKeever (Duke) 15:58.18
4. Nicole Bush (Michigan State) 16:03.27
5. Katrina Rundhaug (Wisconsin) 16:05.02
6. Melissa Grelli (Georgetown) 16:10.83
7. Bridget Franek (Penn State) 16:18.01
8. Elizabeth Ambrus (UAB) 16:18.92
12. Diane Nukuri (Iowa) 16:35.05

Men’s Shot Put Finals – Top Eight Placers
1. Ryan Whiting (Arizona State) 71-3 1/2
2. Russ Winger (Idaho) 69-10 1/4
3. Milan Jotanovic (Manhattan) 64-5 1/4
4. John Caulfield (UCLA) 62-2 1/4
5. Zack Lloyd (Arizona) 61-1 1/2
6. Darius Savage (UCLA) 61-0 1/4
7. John Hickey (Iowa) 60-8 1/2
8. Auston Papay (Akron) 60-8

Complete Results in PDF Format

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