March 6, 2004
The University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s track and field teams ended the 2004 home schedule on Saturday by competing in the final day of the Alex Wilson Invitational. A last chance meet, giving top athletes a chance to post an NCAA Championship qualification time, several of the entrants took advantage of that opportunity – including three Irish athletes and one relay team.
In all, 10 automatic berths to the NCAA meet next weekend in Fayetteville, Ark., were earned during the meet. On Saturday, junior Selim Nurudeen (60-meter hurdles) and junior Lauren King (mile) improved their NCAA consideration times. Nurudeen won the 60-meter hurdles in 7.75, improving his career-best and school record in the process. Nurudeen’s time is ranked sixth on the NCAA season-best list as of March 4.
King won the mile run in 4:41.15, a season-best for the Toronto, Ontario, native and a time that puts her eighth in the country as of March 4. King will make her third-straight NCAA appearance in the indoor mile next weekend.
In the field events, senior Godwin Mbagwu finished fourth with a 15.65m (51-4 1/4) measurement, a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Championship and a mark that ranks among the top 20 in the nation.
The women’s 4×400-meter relay team ran a season-best 3:38.56 to post a solid effort on the national stage. The team of Tiffany Gunn, Kristen Dodd, Ayesha Boyd and Okechi Ogbuokiri – coming off a BIG EAST title two weeks ago – finished second to Auburn (3:37.96). That time puts the Irish in the top 15 in the country and could earn them a trip to Fayetteville next weekend.
The NCAA entry list will be finalized later this week.