Young Qualifies For Saturday’s 200 Meter Final
DES MOINES, Iowa – Ole Miss junior Ricky Robertson placed top 10 in the NCAA high jump for the sixth straight time in his career with a sixth-place effort at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Drake Stadium on Thursday.
Robertson, a native of Hernando, Miss., cleared 7-4.25 before missing his attempts at 7-5.75. His mark tied for fourth-best among the competitors, but he tied for sixth on misses and scored 2.5 points for his team. He came in as the 2012 collegiate and American leader with a season-best jump of 7-7.75, but winner Erik Kynard of Kansas State surpassed him with an amazing leap of 7-8 – the best NCAA mark since 1989.
Robertson will attempt to score more points for the Rebels in the triple jump, which is slated for Friday starting at 4:30 p.m.
Junior Isiah Young advanced to Saturday’s championship final in the 200 meters by clocking the second-fastest time of any qualifier on Thursday, 20.43. He finished behind only ACC champion and 2012 collegiate leader Maurice Mitchell (20.23) of Florida State. It is the second time in Young’s short Rebel career that he has made an NCAA championship final (2012 indoor 60 meters).
At the end of the first of the two-day women’s heptathlon competition, sophomore Fabia McDonald sits in 21st place with 3,157 points. Her best showing was in the high jump, in which she tied for 11th with a clearance of 5-5.25. The final three stages of the heptathlon (long jump, javelin, 800 meters) will take place Friday, beginning at 3 p.m.
The only Ole Miss athlete in Des Moines who has yet to compete is freshman Sam Kendricks, who will take part in the men’s pole vault at 4:30 on Friday.
The championships are being streamed live with free access on ESPN3.com. ESPNU will televise Saturday’s action from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (CT).
In addition, Ole Miss fans can stay up-to-date on the action in Des Moines via the Rebels’ track twitter account (@OleMissTrack) and the Drake athletics twitter account (@DUBulldogs).