Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Several track standouts reach Mideast Regional finals
5/28/2004 11:20:00 PM | Track & Field/Cross Country
Scales, the defending NCAA national champion in the event, turned in the best qualifying mark in the field; however, it won't go down as the school record because it was wind-aided. Scales also qualified for the finals in the 200-meters with a time of 20.49. It was the fourth-fastest qualifying mark in the field.
"We are competing well and putting people in the finals so I'm pleased with that," Middle Tennessee veteran track coach Dean Hayes said. "Mardy did a super job and he's really focused, but all of our competitors are working hard to move along."
In addition to Scales' strong performances, Middle Tennessee also placed several men and two Lady Raiders in Saturday's finals.
The Middle Tennessee 4X100 relay team of Xavier Darden, Mardy Scales, Wesley Dupar-Scott and Pedro Holiday ran its best time of the season, 39.79, to qualify second in Friday's prelims. The quartet finished just behind LSU's relay team (39.72), and ahead of Arkansas, Wisconsin and Tennessee. The previous best time for a Blue Raider 4X100 relay team during the 2004 outdoor season was 40.16 at the Penn Relays.
Linnie Yarbrough also qualified for Saturday's finals in the 110-meters hurdles with a qualifying mark of 13.89. Sean Waller just missed qualifying in the 400-meters with a time of 46.99, good enough for 12th, but only the top eight advance into Saturday's finals. Waller's mark was a personal record.
Lady Raider standout Rosemary Okafor also punched her ticket for Satuday's finals in the 400-meters with a mark of 53.18, just off her season-best mark of 53.07. Kishara George finished eighth in qualifying in the 400 hurdles with a time of 58.60.
In the only final involving a Blue Raider Friday, sophomore J.J. Sturm finished ninth in the long jump with an effort of 24-05.75.
