Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
NCAA Championships
Middle Tennessee Well-Represented at NCAA Championships
6/10/2003 11:40:00 AM | Track & Field/Cross Country
By Nate Rau / Special to GoBlueRaiders.com
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- After an impressive showing at last week's NCAA Regional in Columbus, Ohio, the Middle Tennessee track team takes its show to Sacramento, Calif., for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which begin Wednesday and run through Saturday at Hornet Stadium on the Cal-State Sacramento campus.
"At Ohio State, I think we made people realize what a quality program we have here," head coach Dean Hayes said. "We got our name announced a lot, and we had a lot of people in the finals. To do as well as we did and run as well as we ran I think says a great deal about Middle Tennessee track and field."
Junior Mardy Scales, a two-time indoor All-American, will be making his first trip to the Outdoor Championships. Scales qualified by winning the 100-meters at the Ohio State Regional with a school-record 10.21 in the preliminaries and then a wind-aided time of 10.02 to win the finals. Scales' time in the prelims is the eighth fastest in the country this season.
The Franklin, Tenn., junior is also a member of the team's 4x100-meter relay squad, which currently owns the country's 11th fastest time (39.60). Seniors DJ Spann and Brad Orr and sophomore-anchor Pedro Holiday round out the team.
"Last week Mardy finished first at Ohio State and ran times that were both school records," Hayes said. "Obviously we feel he has a chance to place well this week."
Hayes said Scales' experience running at the Indoor Championships will aid him this week, as well.
"The biggest thing is that you know what it's like at the NCAA and you know what it's like to compete on a championship level."
Victor Okorie followed suit last week at OSU, breaking a school record in the 400-meter hurdles (50.01) and finishing second at Ohio State. Okorie heads into the Championships with the 12th fastest time in the nation in the intermediate hurdles.
"Victor is ranked really high and there's no reason to think he couldn't place higher," Hayes said. "That's what we tell our kids that it isn't just about how you time, it's more about how you place. We feel we have a chance to place really well this week."
Rosemary Okafor rounds out the Middle Tennessee contingent heading to Sacramento. She, too, broke a school record in the 400-meters this season, clocking a time of 52.16 at the Vanderbilt Invitational and heads to the Championships with the fifth fastest time in the country.
Hayes is also very excited about this group for one other reason - everyone heading to the Championships minus Spann and Orr are underclassmen.
"Obviously it's always good (to have underclassmen go to the Championships) because it means you're going to have a talented team returning," Hayes said.
"It's great that this bunch did so well and gets to close out their year like this. It's been a long, tough year and all of these people have really run well, worked hard, given constant effort, and been lucky enough to avoid injury. They all deserve to be there, no doubt."
Results for the Outdoor Championships can be accessed through ncaasports.com.
Nate Rau is an undergraduate student at Middle Tennessee. He can be reached at NateRau9797@yahoo.com.
