Laing Earns All-America Honors at NCAA Championships
6/12/2010 12:00:00 AM
June 12, 2010
EUGENE, Ore. - The Alabama women's track and field team concluded action at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field with junior Kim Laing leading the team on Saturday, as she earned her first All-America honor by finishing seventh in the 100 meter hurdles. The Crimson Tide finished tied for 20th as a team after coming in ranked as the 26th-best team in the nation, tallying its highest point total since 2007 with 13 points.
"Kim Laing has progressed so far in her career here at Alabama," hurdles coach Scott Roberts said. "It's not just what you do in the finals, but when you think about the races she's had to run to make it this far, its just amazing. This was her first trip to the NCAA finals and I'm sure that next year she'll be back and better than ever."
Laing clocked a time of 13.20 (+1.8) to finish seventh in the 100 meter hurdle final. In doing so, she became the first Alabama female student-athlete to garner All-America accolades in the event since Brandit Copper in 2000.
The St. Catherine, Jamaica, native is just the third Alabama athlete to be an All-American in the 100 meter hurdles.
In the javelin, junior Meghan Austin finished 20th with a heave of 148-11. It was her first career appearance at the NCAA Championships.
Attendance for the final day of competition was at 12,812, while over the four day championship meet, the largest crowd in the history of the NCAA Championships amassed at Hayward Field totaled 45,847 fans entering the gates.
In the final team standings, Texas A&M claimed the team title with 72 points. Oregon followed in second and Florida was third, tallying 57 and 40 points, respectively. Alabama finished tied for 20th with a point total of 13. It is the highest team finish for Alabama since finishing 21st in 2006.
Scorers for the Tide this weekend were senior Chealsea Taylor (heptathlon, high jump), sophomore Krystle Schade (high jump) and Laing (100 meter hurdles).
Though Alabama's season is over, senior Chealsea Taylor and junior Meghan Austin will continue to compete this year at the upcoming USATF Jr. and Sr. National Championships. Taylor will compete in the heptathlon and high jump, while Austin will compete in the javelin.
Saturday's Alabama Women's Results
Javelin: 20. Meghan Austin - 148-11
100 Meter Hurdle Final: 7. Kim Laing - 13.20 (+1.8)
Alabama Women's Results (All Weekend)
Javelin (6/12): 20. Meghan Austin - 148-11
100 Meter Hurdle Final (6/12): 7. Kim Laing - 13.20 (+1.8)
Shot Put (6/11): 22. Wilamena Hopkins - 50-6
100 Meter Hurdle Semifinal (6/10): 5. Kim Laing - 13.04 (+2.5)+
Heptathlon Final (6/9-10): 3. Chealsea Taylor - 5, 617 points
Day One Total:3,619 points
100 Meter Hurdles: 4. Chealsea Taylor - 13.80 (+0.2)!
High Jump: 1. Chealsea Taylor - 6-1 1/2!
Shot Put: 17. Chealsea Taylor - 35-0 1/4
200 Meters: 1. Chealsea Taylor - 24.09 (+2.6)
Day Two Total:1,998 points
Long Jump: 12. Chealsea Taylor - 18-3 (-0.8)*
Javelin: 16. Chealsea Taylor - 103-4
800 Meters: 14. Chealsea Taylor - 2:23.58*
4x100 Meter Relay Semifinal (6/9): 21. Frimpong, Owens, Laing, Matherson - 45.78
High Jump (6/9): 5. Chealsea Taylor - 5-9 1/4; t7. Krystle Schade - 5-9 1/4
Alabama Women All-Americans (All Weekend)
High Jump: 5. Chealsea Taylor - 5-9 1/4 (4 points)
High Jump: t7. Krystle Schade - 5-9 1/4 (1 point)
Heptathlon: 3. Chealsea Taylor - 5,617 points (6 points)
100 Meter Hurdles: 7. Kim Laing - 13.20 (+1.8) (2 points)
! - Personal-best; * - Season-best; + - Advanced to next round; DQ - Disqualified; DNF - Did not finish; NM - No mark; FS - False start; SR - School record
Players Mentioned
