June 11, 2003
SACRAMENTO - Aztec junior Nicole Ireland (Las Vegas, Nev.) opened the 2003 NCAA Track and Field Championships by advancing to the semifinals of the 400-meter hurdles with a preliminary time of 57.37. Ireland logged the third-fastest time of the day, winning her heat at Cal State Sacramento's Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif.
Ireland, whose prelim time was her third fastest of the season, was one of 16 competitors in the 28-hurdler field to qualify for the semifinals, slated for Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. The junior is attempting to earn her third straight All-America honor in the 400 hurdles, after placing 10th in 2002 and 11th her freshman campaign while enrolled at the University of Alabama.
SDSU senior Melinda Smedley (Stockton, Calif.) was slated to compete in the preliminaries of the 100 meters earlier in the day, but has been forced to withdraw from the meet due to injury. The 2003 Mountain West Conference's Outstanding Performance honoree suffered a slight strain of her right hamstring during the preliminaries of the 100 meters at the NCAA regional championships on May 30. She is expected to return for the USA national meet, June 19-21, at Stanford.
Besides Ireland, junior Tonette Dyer (Shreveport, La.) and the team's 4x400-meter relay will also compete Thursday evening in day two of the 2003 NCAA championships.
San Diego State's NCAA Track & Field Championships Schedule/Results
Wed., June 11 Time Student-Athlete Event Result 10:25 a.m. Melinda SmedleyPrelims - 100 meters Did not start 7:55 p.m. Nicole Ireland Prelims - 400 hurdles 57.37 (Qualified For Semis)
Thurs., June 12 Time Student-Athlete Event Result 10:15 a.m. Tonette Dyer Prelims - 200 meters 12:55 p.m. Tonette Dyer Prelims - 400 meters 6:00 p.m. Nicole Ireland Semis - 400 hurdles 6:30 pm. Tonette Dyer Semis - 200 meters 8:15 p.m. 4x400 Relay Prelims - 4x400 relay
Fri., June 13 Time Student-Athlete Event Result 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Leslie Miller Heptathlon - Day One 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Shanon Meyer Heptathlon - Day One 7:25 p.m. Nicole Ireland Finals - 400 hurdles 8:25 p.m. Tonette Dyer Semis - 400 meters
Sat., June 14 Time Student-Athlete Event Result 10 a.m.-2:40 p.m. Leslie Miller Heptathlon - Day Two 10 a.m.-2:40 p.m. Shanon Meyer Heptathlon - Day Two 7:20 p.m. Tonette Dyer Finals - 400 meters 8:00 p.m. Tonette Dyer Finals - 200 meters 9:20 p.m. 4x400 Finals - 4x400 relay