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 Sophomore Kevin Johnson joins Zeb Johnson, Dominique Young and Manteo Mitchell on the 4x100-meter relay team at the NCAA National Championships. |
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May 29, 2007
Men's NCAA National Championship Declaration List
NCAA National Championship Schedule of Events
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina sophomore Manteo Mitchell and three teammates had their ticket to the NCAA Track & Field National Championships (June 6-9) in Sacramento, Calif., punched as the declaration lists for the national meet were announced today by the governing body. Mitchell as well as teammates junior Zeb Johnson, sophomore Kevin Johnson and freshman Dominique Young earned at large bids in the men's 4x100-meter relay, with Mitchell also qualifying as an individual in the men's 400-meter dash.
"We are excited to have several student-athletes selected to advance to the NCAA National Championships both as an individual, as well as a relay team," said Western Carolina head coach, Danny Williamson. "Our student-athletes have worked hard all year long to put themselves in this position. Our goals remain the same, though, and that is to continue to show improvement and advance our standing by the meet's end."
The 2007 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex on the campus of Sacramento State will begin for WCU on Wednesday, June 6 with the 4x100-meter relay semifinals at 3:20 pm PT (6:30 pm ET), with Mitchell running in the 400-meter dash prelims on the same day at 6:00 pm PT (9:00 pm ET).
Mitchell finished 11th in the East at the regional meet held in Gainesville, Fla., back on May 26-27 with a time of 47.06. Williamson commented that Mitchell, who qualified for the regional and again in the national seeding by running a school-record 46.23 at the WCU Invitational back at the end of March, turned in a hot lap of near 46-seconds flat to lead off the 1,600-meter relay event. The Mooresboro, N.C., native enters the championship ranked 22nd on the declaration lists.
"Manteo (Mitchell) ran well at the NCAA East Regional in the 400-meter dash, but perhaps performed better as the open leg of the 4x400-meter relay which is a similar type of race at least individually for one lap," Williamson said.
At the national meet, the 400-meter dash is a three-tiered event consisting of the preliminary first round, semifinals and the finals. The 4x100-meter relay, though, is the more traditional two-round event, with semis and finals to decide the national champion.
Mitchell, along with Zeb Johnson, Kevin Johnson and Dominique Young, finished fifth in the East regional - arguably the toughest region nationally as four of the top five times nationally came from Gainesville - in the 400-meter relay with a time of 39.87. WCU ranks 17th on the declaration lists, just over one full second off the top time in the nation turned by Florida State (38.71).
"If we have the same type of performances that we received in the finals at the East Regional, both with Mitchell in both relays and the men's 400-meter relay, we have a chance to move to the next round and be running on the weekend. We have the ability to be as good as anyone else in the field," concluded Williamson.
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