James Named SEC Runner of the Week
2/9/2010 12:00:00 AM
Feb. 9, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Freshman Kirani James of the Alabama men's track and field team was named the Southeastern Conference Runner of the Week as announced by the conference office on Tuesday. The Gouyave, Grenada, native clocked the current fastest 400 meter time in the world on Feb. 6 at the Meyo Invitational.
James became the first Alabama student-athlete to automatically qualify for the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with his time of 45.79. The time was well under the qualifying standard of 46.15.
The true freshman and his time set a new standard for Alabama 400m runners, breaking a 10-year school record of 46.46 held by Cori Loving - also set in South Bend.
James, in his first indoor 400m open race, leads the nation by .02 seconds, and leads the SEC by .69 seconds. The freshman was hardly pushed in last weekend's race, as the second place finisher was almost a full second behind at 46.43.
That will not be the case in his next meet, when James will line up against the second and third-fastest sprinters in the world at Texas A&M.
Up next, James and the Tide travel to College Station, Texas, for the Texas A&M Challenge on Feb. 12-13.
