March 10, 2017
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -
San Diego State junior Ashley Henderson advanced to the finals of the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships after top-eight performances in the preliminaries of both events on the opening day of the national meet Friday.
"The most important thing that Ashley needed to do today was make the final," head coach Shelia Burrell said. "She prefers outdoor races over indoor but today, she showed that she can do whatever she puts her mind to."
Henderson, the 2017 Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Championship Women's Outstanding Performer of the Meet and an all-conference performer this year, ran the 60-meter dash in 7.18, just .01 second shy of the school record she set at the Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Championships two weeks ago. The fourth-seeded athlete in the event, she finished fourth to qualify for the event's final tomorrow at 4:20 p.m. (CT).
Henderson also qualified for the final of the 200 after a sixth-place finish in the event with her 22.89 time. Seeded seventh in the race, her 22.89 mark was just 0.08 off her school record set at this year's conference meet. The final of the 200 is set for tomorrow at 5:40 p.m. (CT).
Henderson will look to become San Diego State's first national indoor champion since Shanieka Thomas won the triple jump in 2014.
Auzenne, who was seeded 16th in the 60-meter hurdles, placed 12th in the prelims, crossing the finish line in 8.18.
A live stream of the finals on ESPN3 is slated to begin at 5:55 p.m. (CT) at this link: http://es.pn/2mk8zJ5.
2017 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships
March 10-11, 2017
College Station, Texas
Day One of Two
Individual Results (SDSU and winner of each event only)
Women's 60 Meters Preliminaries (out of 16 entrants)
1. Hannah Cunliffe (ORE) - 7.13q
4. Ashley Henderson (SDSU) - 7.18q
Women's 200 Meters Preliminaries (out of 16 entrants)
1. Ariana Washington (ORE) - 22.57q
6. Ashley Henderson (SDSU) - 22.89q
Women's 60-Meter Hurdles Preliminaries (out of 16 entrants)
1. Sasha Wallace (ORE) - 7.87q
12. Micha Auzenne (SDSU) - 8.18