Razorbacks Advance Three to Finals
BEIJING, China – Through three days of competition six out of the nine Razorbacks have seen action on the track and in the field at the 2015 IAAF World Championships.
American 100 meter record-holder Tyson Gay was the first to compete and narrowly missed the podium finishing sixth in the finals of the event on day two of the World Championships.
Gay coasted to the 100-meter finals with back to back first-place finishes within his heat in the preliminary and semifinal rounds improving from 10.11 to 9.96. In a much hyped finale which featured the 2007 World Champion alongside two Olympic gold medalists in Jamaican rival Usain Bolt and teammate Justin Gatlin, Gay crossed the line in 10.00 as the sixth fastest man in the world. Gay will be back on the track on Aug. 29 with the US 4×100-meter relay team.
Representing the Caribbean nations of Trinidad and Jamaica, Sparkle McKnight and Veronica Campbell-Brown were the next two Razorbacks on the oval. While both advanced out of the preliminary round, McKnight was unable to qualify for the finals and finished her World Championship campaign as fifth in her heat in a time of 56.21.
Track veteran Campbell-Brown dropped a season best performance in the 100-meter semis to get the auto-qualification in 10.89. Consistent in her abilities, the Jamaican captain returned to the track two hours later and posted a 10.91 but was edged out by American sprinter Tori Bowie who claimed the bronze medal in 10.86. Campbell-Brown will take the next two days to recover before competing in the preliminary round of the 200-meter dash on Aug. 26.
Nigerian sprinter Regina George was unable to move on from the first section of the 400-meter dash but will join Campbell-Brown in the 200-meter dash later this week.
NCAA indoor champions and former Arkansas standouts Sandi Morris and Tina Sutej took on the women’s pole vault qualification round in the morning session of day three.
With 29 vaulters in contention both passed on the opening height and entered the field at 4.30m/14-1.25. Morris who has been competing in the event over the last eight months was over the bar easy while Sutej exited the field unable to get over at that height. The first in her group to clear 4.45m/14-7.25 Morris struggled once the bar increased by an additional .10m missing her first two attempts. On her final try, she was able to get over 4.55m/14-11 and secured her spot in the finals as one of 14 vaulters to move on to the next round of the event scheduled to take place on Aug. 26.
“I gave myself a scare there but pulled it together and cleared that 4.55m to qualify for my first ever World Championships finals,” said Morris.
Razorbacks in Action Aug. 25-27: NCAA 200-meter dash indoor record-holder Wallace Spearmon Jr. takes on the 200-meter prelims on day four of the World Championships. Spearmon qualified for the event by finishing in the top two at the USATF Championships earlier this summer. He will be running out of lane seven in heat six. Top three in each heat and next three fastest times will move on to the next round on Aug. 26.
Kemoy Campbell will be the first to compete on day five (8/26) scheduled to race in the 5,000 meter run. Campbell will be joined by former Arkansas teammate and current Jamaican teammate Omar McLeod who will be up against the world’s best in the first round of the 110-meter hurdles.
Campbell-Brown (200m), George (200m), and Morris (pole vault) will return to competition during the afternoon session on Aug. 26 with Campbell-Brown and George in the prelims of their event and Morris in the finals.
Semifinals of the men’s 110-meter hurdles and women’s 200-meter dash will take place on Aug. 27. Men’s 200-meter dash finals will be the last event of the day.
Coverage of the competition will be available through Universal Sports Network. The 13 hour time difference is reflected in the viewing schedule below.
2015 IAAF World Championships time in central standard
Tuesday, Aug. 25
Men’s 200m | 6:30 a.m. – Wallace Spearmon Jr.
(day 5 locally)
Men’s 5000m prelims | 8:35 p.m. – Kemoy Campbell
Men’s 110H prelims | 10:20 p.m. – Omar McLeod
Wednesday, Aug. 26
Women’s Pole Vault finals | 6:00 a.m. – Sandi Morris
Women’s 200m prelims | 6:15 a.m. – Veronica Campbell-Brown, Regina George
Men’s 200 semis | 7:30 a.m. – Wallace Spearmon Jr.*
Thursday, Aug. 27
Men’s 110H semis | 6:05 a.m. – Omar McLeod*
Women’s 200m semis | 6:35 a.m. – Veronica Campbell-Brown*, Regina George*
Men’s 200m finals | 7:55 a.m. – Wallace Spearmon Jr.*
*Upon qualification
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