June 11, 2003

Sacramento, California - The TCU Flyin' Frogs got off to a solid start in the morning session on the first day of the 2003 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, held at the A.G. Spanos Sports Complex on the Sacramento State campus in Sacramento, California. The Frogs advanced four their five runners through the preliminary round and into the national semifinals.

Michael Frater and Monica Twum advanced to the next round in the 100 meter dash. Frater easily won his heat in 10.58 seconds running into a 2.5 headwind, the seventh fastest time overall during the preliminary round. Sean Lambert of Tennessee turned in the fastest time of the morning session with a 10.44 clocking. Twum was fourth in her heat but advanced to the next round with a prelim time of 11.78 seconds, also into a headwind, placing her 14th among the 18 runners advancing to the semifinals. Jabari Fields was also entered in the men's 100 meter dash but grabbed his hamstring at about the 60 meter mark and went down on the track. Fields, who first felt a twinge while finishing second to Frater in the finals of the 100 meter dash at the Midwest Regionals in Lincoln on May 31, was slated to run the leadoff leg on TCU's 4x100 meter relay squad later today. Now it would appear that Tyrone Sanders will take the stick out of the blocks, passing to Cleavon Dillon and Jerry Harris before Frater's anchor leg.

Jackson Langat moved to the next round in the 800 meter run by winning his heat in a personal best time of 1:46.41, the fastest time recorded in the morning's prelims. Langat was just off the TCU school record of 1:46.04, set by Khadevis Robinson while winning the 1998 national title in Buffalo, New York. The semifinal round of the 800 meters is slated for Thursday morning with the finals set for Saturday night.

Reggie Harrell completed the morning session by tying for the 12th fastest time in the 110-meter high hurdles in a time of 13.86 seconds. Harrell, who reached the national semifinals as a freshman two years ago, will compete in the national semifinals on Thursday morning, with the finals scheduled for Saturday evening.

The Frogs return to the track later this evening for more competition. Aundre Edwards will toe the runway in the qualifying round of the men's long jump competition. Edwards is looking to improve on his fifth place finish at last year's NCAA Outdoor Championship. The men's and women's 4x100 meter relay units will also take the track for the first time in the preliminary round. Those finals are set for Friday. In addition, Frater and Twum will compete later today in the 100 meter dash semifinals. Those finals are scheduled for Friday evening.

TCU RESULTS (Wednesday morning session):

MEN'S PRELIMS:

100m Dash: 7. Michael Frater 10.58 (Advanced to semifinals); -. Jabari Fields DNF.

800m Run: 1. Jackson Langat 1:46.41 (Advanced to semifinals).

110m Hurdles: T12. Reggie Harrell 13.86 (Advanced to semifinals).

WOMEN'S FINALS:

100m Dash: Monica Twum 14. 11.78. (Advanced to semifinals).