Women's Track & Field Adds to NCAA Championship Contingent
6/1/2005 12:00:00 AM
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After the NCAA MidEast Track and Field Regionals, Alabama already had three automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Today, after the at-large bids were announced, they had another.
Senior Chafree Bain will be making her first trip to the NCAA Championships which are being held at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif. June 8-11. Bain joins the Crimson Tide’s automatic qualifiers, juniors Aymara Albury, Tahesia Harrigan and Beth Mallory. Bain finished seventh in the discus at the MidEast regional, placing her in the pool for an at-large bid. Her season best throw of 180 feet, 11 inches easily made it into the national field.
“I looked at it every way possible, even putting people into the mix that I was sure wouldn’t be there for one reason or another, and I couldn’t see anyway that Chafree wasn’t going to make it,” head coach Sandy Fowler said. “But it’s always good to see it on the official list and to know for sure. Chafree has really risen to her potential this season. I am very proud of her.”
Albury, the school record holder in the shot put, is seeded eighth in that event. Harrigan will compete in the 100 and 200m dash. She is ranked the nation’s top-15 in both events. Mallory will compete in both the discus and the hammer throw after winning those events at the regional. Last season she finished second in the discus and is considered one of the favorites to win the event this season. She is currently seeded second in the discus and eighth in the hammer.
Unfortunately one of the Crimson Tide’s top scoring threats, Beau Walker was hampered with an injury through the championship season. She attempted to compete at the regional, but severe leg cramps during the preliminaries of the 4x100m relay put an end to her season. Her top times from the season would have seeded her in the top six in both the 100 and 200m hurdles. She earned All-American honors during the indoor season in the 60m hurdles.
