Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
This Week in Blue Raider Track
3/29/2006 9:19:00 AM | Track & Field/Cross Country
Scales, a Franklin, Tenn., native, was one of the most decorated track performers in school history, earning seven All-America honors to go along with a national championship in the 100-meters in 2003. The 2004 SBC Outdoor Most Outstanding Track Performer won nine outdoor events at SBC Championships during his career. Indoors, Scales was the 2003-04 SBC Indoor Most Outstanding Track Performer and won five events at indoor SBC Championships in his four seasons. He is the 100- and 200-meter SBC record holder and SBC Championship record holder in both events while also being a member of the conference record-holding 4x100-meter relay team. Scales still holds four records at Middle Tennessee, including the 55- and 100-meters, as well as a member of the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams.
Herring, a Pontiac, Mich., native, was a five-time All-American and was the 2001-02 SBC Outdoor Most Outstanding Track Performer at the conference championships. He won a total of six events during his career at the SBC Outdoor Championships. Herring was the 400-meter winner at the 2001 indoor SBC Championships and is the current SBC record holder in the 400-meters both indoors and outdoors and also owns SBC Championship record in both events. He was also the anchor leg on the SBC record-holding 4x100-meter relay team. Herring still holds the indoor and outdoor 400-meter records at Middle Tennessee.
Okorie, a Lagos, Nigeria, native, is the Sun Belt intermediate hurdle record holder, set at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Calif. He is the two-time champion in the event at the SBC Championships and a 2003 All-American in the intermediate hurdles, the only performer to earn All-America honors in the 400-hurdles in Middle Tennessee history. Okorie also holds the school record in the intermediate hurdles.
Freeman, a Mobile, Ala., native, was a 2001 All-American in the triple jump and was the 2001-02 SBC Indoor Most Outstanding Field Performer. Freeman won three events at the SBC Outdoor Championships during her career and four indoors.
Okafor, a Lagos, Nigeria, native, is the Sun Belt 400-meter outdoor record holder. She won the 100- and 200-meters at the SBC Championships in 2003-04 as well as serving as the anchor on the winning 4x400-meter relay in both seasons. Okafor was also a five-time SBC Runner of the Week recipient and still holds eight records at Middle Tennessee - the 400-meters and as a member of the 4x400-meter relay indoors, and the 100-, 200-, 400- and 800-meters as well as a member of the 4x200 and 4x400-meter relay teams outdoors.
YARBROUGH, ROBERTSON RANKED NATIONALLY: Seniors Linnie Yarbrough and Candice Robertson are both ranked nationally this week in the high hurdles after NCAA regional qualifying performances in the first two weeks of the outdoor season. Yarbrough's mark of 14.05 in the 110-meter hurdles run at the Alabama Relays on March 18 ranks sixth nationally this week. Oregon's Eric Mitchum owns the best mark in the country so far outdoors for the men, 13.65, run this past weekend. On the women's side, Robertson's time of 13.83 in the 100-meter hurdles is 11th nationally. Raquel Washington of Southern Miss has the best time so far this year for the women, 13.32, also run this past weekend.
SUN BELT RANKINGS: The Blue Raiders ranked first or second in 10 men's and two women's events after two weeks of the outdoor season. Senior VanTonio Fraley ranks first in the 200-meters (21.35) while juniors Sean Waller and Daryl Terrell are 1-2 in the 400-meters (48.01, 48.08), respectively. Senior Derek Dell is second in the 5000-meters (15:14.72). Senior Linnie Yarbrough is the top runner in the 110-meter hurdles (13.97) and junior Juan Walker is second in the same event (14.13). Walker also ranks second in the long jump (23-10.5), while junior Willie Parker is second in the shot put (48-3.5) and junior James Thomas ranks first in the discus (163-3.75). Thomas is also second in the hammer throw (164-8). On the women's side senior Candice Robertson is the top runner in the 100-meter hurdles (13.83) and sophomore Stephanie Tamgho ranks first in the long jump (39-6.75).
THIS WEEK: Both the men's and women's teams will be participating in the Yellowjacket Invitational on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta, Ga. Full results may be found at ramblinwreck.com.
