DES MOINES, Iowa — The Mississippi State University men’s track and field team’s 4×400-meter relay team of Tavaris Tate, Daundre Barnaby, James Harris, Emanuel Mayers, and Tavaris Tate finished eighth Saturday with a time of 3 minutes, 5.85 seconds career at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at historic Drake Field.
The team’s finish, MSU’s lone event of the day, helped it earn All-America honors.
“Our athletes competed hard this week,” MSU coach Steve Dudley said. “Things just did not seem to go our way. Now we just have to pick ourselves up and get ready for next year.”
The Southeastern Conference captured both overall titles, as the University of Florida won the men’s championship just ahead of LSU, while the LSU women held off the University of Oregon to claim the crown.
The MSU men finished 43rd with five points, while the MSU women finished in a three way tie for 60th with two points.
Marcus Jackson (high jump) and Jody-Ann Muir (400) also concluded the season with first-team All-America honors.
Claiming second-team All-American accolades were Nathan Arnett (400 hurdles), Daundre Barnaby (400), Favian Cowards (hammer throw), and the 4×100-meter team of D’Angelo Cherry, Jarrett Samuels, Justin Christian, and Tate.
Muir missed qualifying for the finals by a few seconds. Running 52.63 seconds, the junior finished seventh.
“I am privileged to be an All-American,” Muir said. “A lot of people train hard and condition to get here and they fall short. I just feel blessed that my hard work paid off, and I made it.”
Erica Bougard was forced to withdraw from competition in the heptathlon due to an injury. She finished 10th in the long jump (18 feet, 11 1/4 inches) and 21st in the javelin (97-6).
n Ole Miss’ Young takes fourth in 200: University of Mississippi junior Isiah Young, the SEC champion in the 200, raced to a fourth-place finish in the event Saturday with a time of 20.89.
Young’s result gave his team five points, as the Rebel men finished the meet with seven and a half points. Ricky Robertson scored two and a half points earlier in the meet with a tie for sixth in the high jump.
“It’s just been a phenomenal meet,” said Ole Miss coach Joe Walker, who oversaw his final NCAA Championships after 30 years at the helm. “On one hand, our kids competed really well. But we’re disappointed we didn’t finish higher. When you get the best of the best together, any little glitch hurts you badly. I thought that we had a really great season, and I’m disappointed we weren’t able to put the exclamation point on it.”
In the 200 final, the runners fought against a huge headwind of -4.2, with Florida State’s Maurice Mitchell crossing the line first in 20.40 seconds. Young was the top SEC finisher, beating out LSU’s Aaron Ernest and Auburn’s Keenan Brock and Harry Adams.
It was Young’s highest NCAA finish, and the best finish by a Rebel in the 200.
Young also was ninth in the 100 (10.09).
Other finishers for Ole Miss were: Sam Kendricks (tied for 10th in the men’s pole vault, 17-4.5), Robertson (18th in the triple jump, 50-7.5), Carson Blanks (19th in the 400 hurdles, 51.87), Fabia McDonald (20th in the women’s heptathlon, 5,136 points), and Kristin Bridges (24th in the women’s 400, 53.51).
Ole Miss will send a few individuals to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 21-July 1 for a chance to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. Possible entries for the Rebels include Robertson, Young, Blanks, Kendricks, and Mike Granger.
For the University of Alabama, Krystle Schade closed her season by earning first-team All-America honors with a fourth-place finish in the high jump Friday.
Schade cleared a season high and outdoor personal best of 6-1 1/2 to record the second highest outdoor jump in school history.
“I was ecstatic about my outdoor PR today,” Schade said. “I haven’t felt this good since the indoor season and I’m proud of myself. I tried to jump 1.90 meters (6-2.75), but just didn’t have it today, and I’m happy where I placed today.”
Schade matched her previous season best of 6-0 on her third jump and missed once at 6-1 1/2 before clearing on her next attempt to jump into second all-time at Alabama. With the bar at 6-2 3/4, she missed on her next three attempts but was one of just five competitors who advanced to that height.
“She came out here and started firing away and getting over bars,” Alabama coach Dan Waters said. “She cleared the highest bar she’s cleared outdoors and is an All-American, so I’m very proud of what she was able to accomplish today.”
Kaylon Eppinger finished the seven-event heptathlon in 17th place (5,359 points).
“Today was another day to go out and get some good marks in these three events,” Eppinger said. “But it just wasn’t my day. It’s a grind and a very tough event. You can’t go easy in any event because every event matters and you have to treat each one like it’s your last event.”
Eppinger started the day off strong with a season best jump of 18-7 1/4 in the long jump, followed by a throw of 109-2 in the javelin. She ran a time of 2:24.25 in the 800.
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