Alabama
NCAA East Preliminary
Alabama Track and Field Qualifies 11 Women to the NCAA Championship Finals
5/29/2021 9:15:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
After qualifying three on Thursday, the Crimson Tide added eight more women to its NCAA Championship Finals roster on Saturday, breaking two school records in the process
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Led by a historic performance from Tamara Clark, the Alabama women's track and field team has advanced 11 women to next month's NCAA Championship Finals following the NCAA East Preliminary at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., which came to a close on Saturday.
After qualifying for the NCAA finals as part of Alabama's 4x100-meter relay and in the 100 meters (10.98) earlier in the night, Clark proceeded to run the fourth-fastest 200 meters in collegiate history, posting a 22.13 in a dominant performance.
In a race where progress is so often measured by hundredths of a second, Clark lopped nearly a half second off her pervious best of 22.50 set earlier this season and buried the Alabama record by a quarter of a second. On the way to the new school record, Clark flew past Olympic Champions Pauline Davis (22.49) and Lillie Leatherwood (22.38).
Clark closed the night and the meet by helping the Crimson Tide earn a place at nationals in the 4x400-meter relay.
Amaris Tyynismaa also broke a school and Hodges Stadium record on Saturday, running a 4:09.48 to take top honors in the 1,500 meters and move on to the national finals.
After qualifying three to the NCAA Championship Finals earlier in the week, the Crimson Tide added eight more on Friday, including Clark (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay), Tyynismaa (1,500m), Natassha McDonald (400m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay), Esther Gitahi (5,000m), Leah Hanle (3,000m steeplechase), Daija Lampkin (4x100m relay, 4x400m relays), D'Jai Baker (4x100m relay, 4x400m relay) and Christal Mosley (4x400m relay). Mercy Chelangat added the 5,000 meters to her slate of events at the national championships after qualifying in the 10,000 meters on Thursday.
Head Coach Dan Waters Said
"What an amazing way to finish off a long week here in Jacksonville. Tamara Clark was extraordinary today, running four tough races, all in world class times. Her 200-meter race was just amazing. Amaris gave us another school record on the night and Mercy and Natassha just continue to get better and better as this year goes on. I'm super proud of the way everyone competed today and really all week and of the crew that we have going to Eugene and the NCAA finals. We've put ourselves in a position to close this season with a special meet in Oregon … we just have to stay focused, stay healthy and close strong."
Going to the 'Ship
- Three Alabama women – Mercy Chelangat (10,000 meters), Nickolette Dunbar (shot put) and Taylor Gorum (shot put) - punched their tickets for Eugene on Thursday, with eight more earning their way to the NCAA Championship Finals on Saturday
- Amaris Tyynismaa snapped Evelyn Adriu's 1986 school record of 4:09.61 with a 4:09.48 in the 1,500 meters, setting a Hodges Stadium record along the way, while finishing more than a second ahead of the field
- Tamara Clark ran a 10.98 to qualifying in the 100 meters, marking just the second wind legal sub-11 second time in school history
- Clark ran the fourth-fastest time in collegiate history, a 22.13, to qualifying in the 200 meters
- Natassha McDonald posted the second-fastest time of her career, a 51.03, to break the Hodges Stadium record in the 400 meters and move on to Eugene
- Leah Hanle went a 10:00.05 to earn her trip to the NCAA Championship Finals in the 3,000-meter steeplechase
- Mercy Chelangat posted to the fastest time of the night in the 5,000 meters (15:45.59) after earning a spot in the 10,000 meters on Thursday
- Esther Gitahi posted a 15:57.48 to earn a trip to Oregon in the 5,000 meters
- Daija Lampkin, Clark, D'Jai Baker and McDonald opened Saturday's running events by posting a 42.97 in the 4x100-meter relay to punch their ticket for Oregon
- Christal Mosley, Clark, Baker and McDonald closed the night by posting a season-best 3:28.23 in the 4x400-meter relay and earning a spot in Eugene
Up Next
- The 2021 NCAA Championship Finals will be held June 9-12 in Eugene, Ore.
- The Crimson Tide has advanced 13 men and 11 women to Oregon
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Players Mentioned
