Alabama
NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Alabama Women's Track & Field Advances 4x100-Meter Relay to Championship Final
6/8/2017 11:09:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
The Crimson Tide quartet of Quanesha Burks, Diamond Gause, Symone Darius and Takyera Roberson combined to post the second-fastest 4x100-meter relay time in UA history and the second-fastest in the NCAA Outdoor semifinals
EUGENE, Ore. – The Alabama track and field team's 4x100-meter relay squad of Quanesha Burks, Diamond Gause, Symone Darius and Takyera Roberson advanced to Saturday's championship final on the opening night of women's competition at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field.
The Crimson Tide won its semifinal heat with a 43.08, the second-fastest time out of the semis. The time is the second-fastest in school history behind the 42.91 the same foursome turned in at the NCAA East Regional on May 27. The Tide has now run five of the 10 fastest times in school history this season.
"I'm really proud of us for getting the stick through the way out coaches told us to," Gause said. "I think our handoffs could have been a little bit better because they weren't too smooth, but we still finished strong to make it to the final."
Burks also competed in the final long jump competition of her Alabama career on Thursday, finishing 11th with a jump of 20-7 (6.27m). She ends her Alabama long jump career with NCAA titles in the indoor (2016) and outdoor (2015) long jump, three SEC outdoor long jump titles (2015, 2016 and 2017) and the 2016 SEC indoor long jump crown.
In other field event action Thursday, the Tide's Lakan Taylor tied for eighth in the pole vault with a clearance of 13-7 1/4 (4.15m). Junior Danielle McConnell finished 16th in the hammer throw with a mark of 200-3 (61.05m), the 10th-best throw in school history. McConnell now owns seven of the top-10 hammer throw marks in Alabama history.
Freshman Samantha Zelden finished 13th in the javelin with a mark of 168-4 (51.31m), the sixth-longest throw in school history. Zelden also recorded the seventh- and eighth-best marks ever at Alabama Thursday evening. She ends her freshman year with eight of the top 10 javelin marks ever recorded at Alabama.
Late on Wednesday the Alabama men's 4x400-meter relay team of Will Allen, Jereem Richards, Skyler Bowden and Steven Gayle qualified for Friday's championship final with a time of 3:03.26, the fourth-fastest time in school history. The relay joins Richards (200 meters), Gayle (400 meters) and Ruebin Walters (110-meter hurdles) in qualifying for Friday's final round. Also in action on Friday will be Joe Williams in the discus and Klyvens Delaunay in the triple jump.
Women's Event Summaries – NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships- Day 2
Finals
Hammer Throw
Junior Danielle McConnell finished 16th in the women's hammer throw with a mark of 200-3 (61.05m). The mark is the 10th-best in school history. McConnell now owns seven of the top-10 marks in Alabama history, all of which were set this season.
Alabama Series
- McConnell – 200-3 (61.05m); 196-7 (59.93m); 196-9 (59.98m)
Pole Vault
Senior Lakan Taylor tied for eighth in the pole vault with a clearance of 13-7 1/4 (4.15m). Taylor ends her career as the school record holder in the indoor pole vault and won the pole vault crown at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Alabama Series
- Taylor –13-1 1/2 (4.00m) (Pass); 13-7 1/4 (4.15m) (o); 14-1 1/4 (4.30m) (xxx)
Javelin
Freshman Samantha Zelden finished 13th in the javelin with a mark of 168-4 (51.31m). The mark is the sixth-best in school history. Zelden also recorded the seventh- and eighth-best marks ever at Alabama on Thursday evening. She ends her freshman year with eight of the top 10 javelin marks ever recorded at Alabama.
Alabama Series
- Zelden – 164-0 (49.99m); 164-10 (50.24m); 168-4 (51.31m)
Long Jump
Senior Quanesha Burks finished 11th in the long jump with a mark of 20-7 (6.27m). Junior Filippa Fotopoulou finished 19th at 19-5 1/2 (5.93m). Burks ends her career with NCAA titles in the indoor (2016) and outdoor (2015) long jump, three SEC outdoor long jump titles (2015, 2016, 2017) and the 2016 SEC indoor long jump crown.
Alabama Series
- Burks – 19-3 ½ (5.88m); 20-4 1/4 (6.20m); 20-7 (6.27m)
- Filippa Fotopoulou – 19-5 1/2 (5.93m); Foul; 19-0 3/4 (5.81m)
Semifinals
4x100-Meter Relay
The quartet of seniors Quanesha Burks and Diamond Gause and freshmen Symone Darius and Takyera Roberson finished second in the semifinals of the 4x100-meter relay in 43.08. The time is the second-fastest in school history behind the 42.91 the same foursome turned in at the NCAA East Regional on May 27. The Tide women have now run five of the 10 fastest times in school history this season.
100 Meters
In her second of three events on Thursday, senior Quanesha Burks finished 12th in the semifinals of the 100 meters in 11.41.
400 Meters
Senior Domonique Williams (52.50) and freshman Takyera Roberson (53.18) finished 11th and 12th, respectively, in the semifinals of the 400 meters.
4x400-Meter Relay
Alabama's 4x400-meter relay squad of freshman Takyera Roberson, senior Diamond Gause, freshman Symone Darius and senior Domonique Williams finished 10th in the semifinals in 3:33.57.
NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Eugene, Ore. (University of Oregon)
Alabama Results
Women
- 100 Meters- 12. Quanesha Burks, 11.41
- 400 Meters- 11. Domonique Williams, 52.50; 12. Takyera Roberson, 53.15
- 4x100-Meter Relay: 2. Alabama (Quanesha Burks, Diamond Gause, Symone Darius, Takyera Roberson), 43.08 (Q)
- 4x400-Meter Relay: 10. Alabama (Takyera Roberson, Diamond Gause, Symone Darius, Domonique Williams), 3:33.57
- Pole Vault- 8t. Lakan Taylor, 13-7 ¼ (4.15m)
- Long Jump- 11. Quanesha Burks, 20-7 (6.27m); 19. Filippa Fotopoulou, 19-5 ½ (5.93m)
- Hammer Throw- 16. Danielle McConnell, 200-3 (61.05m)
- Javelin- 13. Samantha Zelden, 168-4 (51.31m)
Alabama Superlatives
School Top-10 Performances
Men
- 100 Meters- 9t. Tony Brown, 10.12
- 400 Meters- 7. Steven Gayle, 45.45
- Pole Vault- 5. Will Herrscher, 17-4 ½ (5.30m)
- 200 Meters- 4. Jereem Richards, 20.04
- Javelin- 9. McLean Lipschutz, 227-8 (69.41m)
- Javelin- 10. McLean Lipschutz, 226-5 (69.03m)
- 10,000 Meters- 10. Alfred Chelanga, 29:12.34
- 4x400-Meter Relay- 4. Alabama (Will Allen, Jereem Richards, Skyler Bowden, Steven Gayle), 3:03.26
Women
- Hammer Throw- 10. Danielle McConnell, 200-3 (61.05m)
- 4x100-Meter Relay: 2. Alabama (Quanesha Burks, Diamond Gause, Symone Darius, Takyera Roberson), 43.08
- Javelin – 6. Samantha Zelden, 168-4 (51.31m)
- Javelin – 7. Samantha Zelden, 164-10 (50.24m)
- Javelin – 8. Samantha Zelden, 164-0 (49.99m)
Personal Bests
Men
- 100 Meters- Tony Brown, 10.12
- PB- Personal best
- SB- Season best
- SR- School record
- NB- National best
- NM- No mark
- NH- No height
- DNF- Did not finish
- DNS- Did not start
- Q- Qualified for final with heat finish
- q- Qualified for final with heat time
- w- Wind above allowable
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Players Mentioned
