Breakdown of the 2008 NCAA Championships
6/4/2008 12:00:00 AM
June 4, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas - The following is a breakdown of the Flyin' Frogs that will compete at the 2008 NCAA Track and Field Championships next week in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Seniors
Virgil Hodge
Hodge, a six-time All-American, will look to close her career in style as she will compete in both the 100 and 200 meters at Drake Stadium. Simply put, the St. Kitts native is one of the most prolific runners ever at TCU and will compete in a Horned Frog uniform one last time before heading to the Olympics later this summer. Hodge, who currently sits No. 8 in the 100 and No. 5 in the 200 metes in the NCAA, won both events at the Mountain West Conference Championships last month in Fort Worth. At the MWC Championships, Hodge, who set a new St. Kitts national record in the 100, closed out her MWC career in style as she clocked a new personal best time of 11.21 seconds in the 100 meters to claim her third-straight conference outdoor title. She also won her third-straight 200-meter championship title. Earlier this spring at the TCU Invitational, Hodge, who finished in seventh-place in the 200 during the indoor season, blazed to a first-place finish with then the third fastest time in the world. The senior clocked a time of 22.76, which was the fastest mark in the NCAA for two-straight weeks. Last season, the 2008 Mountain West Conference Indoor Athlete of the Year became the only female in school history with at least five All-America honors. Overall, she posted All-America honors in the 200 meters at both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships and as a member of the 4x100 relay team at the outdoor championships. Finally, she placed fifth in the 200 meters (22.70) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning TCU's second-best finish in the event.
Jonathan Jackson
Jackson will look to cap an oustanding career in Iowa with a National Championship in the men's triple jump. The nation's No. 3 ranked jumper going into the NCAAs, Jackson, who qualified for nationals by posting runner-up honors at the Midwest Regional, has produced many memorable moments this spring. Earlier this season, Jackson had one of the most successful outings for an athlete in Penn Relays history. The senior crushed his own school record to win the men's triple jump after winning the long jump on his first day of competition in Philadelphia. By doing so he earned College Athlete of the Meet honors for individual events. The Grand Prairie, Texas, native, who's mark of 54 feet, 3.75 inches in the triple jump is currently tied for No. 3 in the NCAA and is the 10th longest jump in Penn Relays history, became the first TCU track and field athlete ever to win both the men's long and triple jump at the Penn Relays. He also became the first TCU male or female to win a title in the triple jump at Franklin Field. Finally, Jackson, who earned his second All-America honor of his career during the indoor season in the triple jump, will look to improve upon his third-place showing in the event last season at nationals next week.
Joe Brown
Nobody has had a better spring season then the senior from Overland Park, Kan. He will compete in the men's javelin in Des Moines. At the Mountain West Conference Championships, Brown closed his MWC career in winning-fashion, taking the title on his last attempt in competition. Overall, Brown blasted a throw of 221 feet, 7 inches to become only the second Horned Frog ever to win a conference crown in the javelin, and the first since Wes Ritchey won the Southwest Conference in 1954. Brown's seasonal-best and regional qualifying toss currently ranks as the No. 20 throw in the NCAA this spring. Following competition in Fort Worth, Brown qualified for the NCAA Championships last Friday by crushing his own school record in the men's javelin to lead TCU on the first day of competition at the NCAA Midwest Regional. Brown, who will be competing at the NCAAs for the first time, recorded a fifth-place finish and automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships by tossing the javelin 224 feet to break his previous school record of 222 feet, 5 inches set in 2006.
The Juniors
Kishelle Paul
Coming off a regional championship, Paul will look to make a name for herself in the women's 400-meter hurdles at nationals. Paul, a junior from Georgia, recorded a seasonal best time of 57.81 seconds to win the Midwest Regional. Her time is currently ranked No. 15 in the NCAA and is the top mark in the Mountain West Conference heading into the NCAAs. Paul, who is coming off an All-American sophomore campaign, earned third-place honors in the 100-meter hurdles with a regional qualifying time of 13.84, while also breaking the previous complex record in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 58.84 seconds to place second overall at the Mountain West Conference Championships. Earlier this spring, Paul finished in second-place at the Texas Relays in the women's 400-meter hurdles, clocking an NCAA regional-qualifying time of 57.84 seconds. Her time at that point was the 16th fastest time clocked in the world. Paul, who qualified for the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400-meter hurdles after placing third at the Midwest Regional with a school-record time of 57.70, will head to Des Moines looking to collect her third All-America honor of her career.
Jessica Clarke
Clarke will be making her first appearance at the 2008 NCAA Championships in the women's 400 meters. The junior, who comes into nationals with the 13th fastest time in the nation, has come on as of late, collecting conference champion honors in the 400 meters by winning the event title with the fifth-fastest time in championship history. Her blazing regional qualifying time of 52.52 at that time was the seventh-fastest time in the nation and ranked in the top-50 in the world standings. Clarke, who qualified for nationals as an at-large, recorded a time of 53.62 to finish in seventh-place at the Midwest Regional.
Otis McDaniel
McDaniel heads back to the NCAAs in the 200 meters after sitting out last season. McDaniel, a 2006 All-American, crossed the finish line at the Midwest Regional in fifth-place with a time of 20.86 seconds to qualify for nationals. The junior had a solid outing at the MWC Championships as he won the conference title in the 200 meters with a seasonal best time of 20.60, while also posting runner-up honors in the 100 meters. McDaniel, who heads to nationals with the 14th fastest time in the nation, posted All-America honors during his sophomore campaign in the 4x100 by finishing fourth overall and will look to make a name for himself in both the 4x100 and 200 meters after a successful 2008 season as a Flyin' Frog.
Andon Mitchell
Mitchell, who will compete in both the 100 meters and the 4x100 in Iowa, comes into nationals after collecting a seasonal best time of 10.30 seconds in Lincoln last weekend in the 100 meters to place fourth overall. The nations No. 21 ranked sprinter will be making his first apperance at the NCAAs in a Flyin' Frog uniform. Mitchell earned all-conference honors in the event after finishing in third-place with a time of 10.55 at the MWC Championships.
The Freshman
Mychal Dungey
Dungey, who qualified for nationals as an at-large in the men's 200 meters, has posted the 19th fastest time in event heading into Des Moines. Overall, the newcomer recorded all-regional honors at the Midwest Regional by placing sixth overall with a time of 20.91 in the 200 in Lincoln. Dungey, an Austin native, crossed the finish-line at the MWC Championships in second-place with a time of 20.86. Earlier this season, the former high school All-American cruised to a second-place finish with a time of 20.68 seconds at the TCU Invitational. His mark at that time was the fourth fastest time in the NCAA and the 14th fastest mark in the world. Dungey will be making his first appearance at the NCAAs next week.
The Relays
The Men's 4x100
The unit which consists of Dungey, Mitchell, McDaniel and Justyn Warner / Clemore Henry heads to Des Moines after clocking a seasonal best time of 39.70 to qualify for the NCAA Championships by placing third overall in the event in Nebraska. Overall, the 4x100, which ranks No. 16 in the NCAA, placed fourth overall at the Texas Relays, while also collecting first-place honors at the Mountain West Conference Championships. Henry replaced Warner at Regionals, but both are slated to go to the NCAAs with Warner being an alternate.
The Men's 4x400
The men's 4x400 unit which consists of Che Chavez, Dell Guy, Henry and Matthew Love qualified for nationals as an at-large squad. The unit has the seventh fastest time in the nation and comes into nationals with high expectations after earning runner-up honors in the event at the NCAA Indoors this past winter. Earlier this season, Chavez, Guy, Henry and Love shined at the Penn Relays, taking home the event title for only the second time in TCU's prestigious history at the Penn Relays. The conference champions closed out the Texas Relays clocking a season best time of 3:04.78 to finish fourth overall in the event in Austin.
Players Mentioned
