AUSTIN -- After Wednesday's competition was suspended at the NCAA Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas--due to sever weather conditions--athletes were able to resume competition on Thursday. In the final event of the evening, BYU senior Laura Turner finished seventh in the 10,000 meters to earn All-America honors.
Following is an event-by-event summary of today's events.
2:00 p.m. (CDT) -- Men's Pole Vault (Qualifying Round)
Competitors: Robison Pratt (So., El Paso, Texas); Trent Powell (Jr., Mesa, Ariz.)
Despite perfect conditions, both Robison Pratt and Trent Powell failed to qualify for the finals in the pole vault. Powell and Pratt needed three attempts to clear their opening height at 16-10; however, they were unable to clear the next height, 17-04.5.
"The conditions were perfect," BYU coach Mark Robison said. "They had a nice tail wind and the whole bit. Their rhythm was off and they didn't have a good day."
The top-15 athletes advanced to the finals. Pratt and Powell finished tied for 21st.
6:10 p.m. (CDT) -- Women's 100-meter Hurdles (Prelims)
Competitors: Amy Menlove (Fr., Sandy, Utah)
Freshman Amy Menlove finished seventh in the third of four heats in the 100-meter hurdles. One of five freshmen in the competition, Menlove completed the race in a time of 13.89. Ashlee Williams of Texas won the heat in a time of 12.90 seconds.
The winner of each heat, in addition to the next five best times advanced to Friday's finals. Menlove finished 27th overall, while Nebraska freshman Priscilla Lopes will advance as the top qualifier with a time of 12.75.
6:30 p.m. (CDT) -- Women's Long Jump (Finals)
Competitors: Amy Menlove (Fr., Sandy, Utah)
After the first flight of competition, Menlove ranked second with a mark of 20 feet 6.5 inches. Menlove had a fault on her first attempt before nailing the 6.26-meter attempt. Menlove faulted on her third attempt. Tina Harris of LSU led the competition with a mark of 6.70 meters after the first flight.
After the second flight, Menlove dropped to fifth with three competitors turning in longer marks in the second flight.
After the third and final flight, Menlove's mark in the first flight failed to qualify her for the finals. Only the top-nine overall competitors advanced. Menlove finished 11th overall with a mark of 20 feet 6.5 inches.
"For a freshman, she did an excellent job," women's coach Craig Poole said. "Had she had the opportunity to compete under the original format, before the weather caused meet officials to change things, she would have had three more jumps and would have been in a better position. However, she's a young freshman and did a great job. She's just going to get better and better. We're very proud of her."
7:00 p.m. (CDT) -- Men's 800m (Prelims)
Competitors: Lars Kjerengtroen (Jr., Rapid City, S.D.)
Junior Lars Kjerengtroen finished sixth in the first of three heats in the 800m. Kjerentroen was in eighth place after 500 meters, but turned on the after-burners to finish sixth in a personal-best time of 1:48.24.
"He closed well at the end," BYU men's distance coach Ed Eyestone said. "He understood the quality of individuals he was competing against. Ending on a PR makes it not so bitter. If you can't advance to the finals, at least you know you ran the fastest time in your life. That's a good way to end the season."
The top-two athletes in each heat qualified for the finals, in addition to the next three best times. Kjerengtroen finished 17th out of 27 athletes in the competition.
7:55 p.m. (CDT) -- Women's 1,500m (Prelims)
Competitors: Julie Cameron (Fr., Provo, Utah)
Freshman Julie Cameron finished seventh in the second of two heats in the 1,500 meters, completing the race in a time of 4:22.06. Cameron was in eighth place after the first 800 meters, looking to move up. With over two laps remaining, Cameron and Idaho's Mary Kamau collided, resulting in Kamau dropping out of the race and Cameron losing the shoe on her right foot. Despite a missing shoe, and having the track's surface tear off skin on the balls of her feet, Cameron passed one more runner to finish seventh in the heat.
Cameron, only one of three freshmen in the event, did not qualify for Saturday's finals, but finished 15th overall out of 28 competitors.
8:15 p.m. (CDT) -- Men's 1,500m (Prelims)
Competitors: Nathan Robison (Jr., Provo, Utah); Bryan Lindsay (Jr., Orem, Utah)
Junior Bryan Lindsay finished sixth in the first of two heats in the 1,500 meters. While he did not earn an automatic ticket to Saturday's final, Lindsay's time of 3:47.37 earned a spot in the finals as one of the top-12 competitors.
"Bryan made it by the skin of his teeth," Coach Robison said. "Tha'ts about as close as you can get."
In the second heat, junior Nathan Robison finished third with a time of 3:46.81 to earn an automatic bid to the finals on Saturday, finishing with the fifth fastest overall time in the competition.
After being jammed in the middle of a slow pack through the first 800 meters, Robison made a dash for the lead with 800 meters remaining. After stretching the field, and holding the lead through the bell, Robison cruised to a third-place finish and secured his spot in Saturday's final.
"The pace was really slow in both heats," Coach Robison said. "Its fine to hang back in the pack, but if you get boxed in when the leaders take off, you can get in trouble. Because the pace was so slow, he moved out to the front so he didn't get stuck. He just needed to be in the top four. He said he felt good, so he stayed out there."
8:30 p.m. (CDT) -- Men's Shot Put (Qualifying Round)
Competitors: Niklas Arrhenius (Fr., Orem, Utah)
Battling a wrist injury, freshman Niklas Arrhenius finished 20th overall in the men's shot put. Arrhenius was credited with a toss of 58 feet, three inches on his first of three throws. On his second attempt, he threw on 17.63 meters, then fouled on his final attempt.
"It's been tough for Nik to train," Coach Robison said. "He just hasn't been able to throw with his injury."
8:45 p.m. (CDT) -- 4x400-meter Relay
Competitors:Matt Rowe, Paul Smith, David Chesser, Greg Flint
The relay team of Matt Rowe, Paul Smith, David Chesser and Greg Flint finished 14th overall, completing the 4x400-meter relay in a time of 3:07.43. The Cougars finished fifth in the first heat, finishing ahead of the sixht-place finisher Florida State.
"Greg ran the final leg and let up a little," Coach Robison said. "When it was clear we weren't going to advance, he took it easy. We were still able to beat some good relay teams, but Greg did the right thing. He has a chance to do real well in the 400 hurdles, so there was no reason to push it. The best we could have done was 12th, and we wouldn't have qualified for the finals with that."
9:00 p.m. (CDT) -- Women's 3,000-meter Steeplechase (Prelims)
Competitors: Kassi Andersen (Jr., Provo, Utah); Michaela Mannova (Jr., Dvur Kralov, Czech.); Lisa Antonelli (Jr., Alpine, Utah)
The Cougars qualified two of their three entrants for Saturday's championship final in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, setting the stage for a fourth straight national championship in the event.
Kassi Andersen, the defending national champion ran a conservative race in the first of two heats, finishing third in a time of 10:12.76. Michaela Mannova, the 2002 national champion in the event, finished second in the second heat with a time of 10:16.07. Junior Lisa Antonelli finished ninth in the second heat in a time of 10:32.97, failing to qualify for Saturday's final by just over seven seconds.
9:30 p.m. (CDT) -- Men's 3,000-meter Steeplechase (Prelims)
Competitors: Matt Adams (Jr., Heber, Utah) Josh McAdams (So., Broadview Heights, Ohio)
In the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, junior Matt Adams finished sixth in the second of two heats to qualify for Saturday's final with a time of 9:01.17. Adams was the 13th of 14 athletes to qualify for the finals. Teammate Josh McAdams finished ninth in the first heat in a time of 9:03.22. McAdams finished 16th overall, falling less than one second shy of qualifying for Saturday's final.
9:55 p.m. (CDT) -- Women's 10,000m (Final)
Competitors: Laura Turner (Sr., Clifton, Va.)
Senior Laura Turner led the field for just over five kilometers before losing ground to the leaders. Turner, a senior from Clifton, Va., dropped as far as 12th, but with just over two laps remaining, started her push for the finish line. Shortly after 10:40 p.m., Turner earned All-America honors with a seventh-place finish, completing the grueling race in 34:56.87.