Butler advances to 200 meter semifinal

FAYETTEVILLE – LaShawn Butler qualified for the semifinal round of the 200 meters Saturday at the 2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Fellow 2011 University of Arkansas senior Dorian Ulrey was also in action Saturday and finished eighth in the finals of the 1,500 meters.

Running in heat two of the opening round, Butler led the pack across the finish line in a time of 20.52, a season-best mark. With his victory in Saturday’s race, he secured an automatic berth into the next round and is the seventh overall qualifier for the semifinal. Both semifinal and eventual final of the 200 meters will be run Sunday, the final day of competition at the national meet.

In the finals of the 1,500 meters, Ulrey finished in a time of 3:49.02, good for an eighth-place result. He entered the race as the No. 10 qualifier from Thursday’s semifinal. The top 10 runners in Saturday’s final were all separated by less than two seconds.

Former Razorback student-athletes Jeremy Scott (2004) and Wallace Spearmon, Jr., (2004-05) were also in action in the pole vault and 200 meters, respectively. Scott turned in a silver performance in the pole vault with an 18-4.5 clearance, while Spearmon finished in a time of 20.82 in the opening round of the 200 meters. He will not move on to the semifinal heats.

Competition at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships draws to a close Sunday afternoon. Follow the action that will be televised Sunday at 2 p.m. (CT) on Universal Sports and 4 p.m. on NBC. For continued coverage and more information, log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

USA Championships – Saturday results200m (first round)7. LaShawn Butler – 20.52 (Q)

1,500m (final)8. Dorian Ulrey – 3:49.02

Former Razorbacks200m (first round)20. Wallace Spearmon, Jr. – 20.82

Pole Vault2. Jeremy Scott – 5.60m/18-4.5