A&M track teams off to solid start in hunt for double 3-peat

  • Posted: Thursday, June 9, 2011 7:00 a.m.
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Eagle Staff Report


DES MOINES, Iowa -- Texas A&M's Sam Humphreys took the bronze medal in the men's javelin while the Aggies set the school record in the men's 400-meter relay to open the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Wednesday.


Humphreys threw 246 feet, 2 inches on his final throw to beat Florida's Stipe Zunic by one inch, giving A&M a one-point edge early in the chase to the team title against one of the Aggies' chief rivals.


"Being involved in an event that included Florida was similar to Trinity Otto being in the decathlon last year with Gary Horn," Humphreys said. "Coach [Pat] Henry told Trinity you have to keep that guy in your sights. I did the same thing this year and managed to get past [Zunic] on my last throw."


In the semifinals of the men's 400 relay, A&M's Tran Howell, Gerald Phiri, Demetrius Pinder and Prezel Hardy Jr. finished in 38.38 seconds to win their heat and break the school record of 38.51 set in the 2009 NCAA semifinals.


"Everything went smooth ... 38.38. What can you say?" Howell said. "That was just a great race."


Howell and Phiri ran legs on the 2009 record-setting team and ran the first two legs Wednesday on Drake Stadium's blue track.


"I knew I had to get out and make sure we get the stick around," Howell said of his leadoff leg. "Running that time was unexpected. We were just trying to win our heat. That was the main goal for me.


"Our passes were safe and smooth. To run 38.38, it was just a great race. Our potential is unlimited."


A&M also broke the Drake Stadium record of 38.42 set by LSU at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2008.


Gabby Mayo, Jeneba Tarmoh, Dominique Duncan and Ashley Collier advanced in the women's 400 relay at 42.99. LSU had the top qualifying time at 42.94. A&M has won four straight NCAA women's titles in the 400 relay, setting the collegiate record of 42.36 in the 2009 final.


Other qualifiers for the Aggie women included Jessica Beard (400) and Andrea Sutherland (400 hurdles), while Demetrius Pinder (400), Bryan Miller (400), Phiri (100) and Hardy (100) advanced to finals for the men.


The Aggies suffered a couple of setbacks in Wednesday's semifinals. Tarmoh was disqualified in the women's 100 because of a false start, while men's 400 hopeful Tabarie Henry finished sixth in his heat and failed to advance to the finals.


On Thursday, A&M's Daphne Fitzpatrick will start the heptathlon while the Aggies will run semifinal heats in the 200, 100 hurdles, 110 hurdles and both 1,600 relays. A&M's Laura Asimakis and Emily Humphreys also will compete in the finals of the women's javelin while Melvin Echard, Julian Reid and Tyron Stewart will seek points in the men's long jump.

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