Wake Forest University
NCAA Championships
Deacons Finally Wrap-up Soggy Opening Day Of NCAA Championships
6/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
June 11, 2009
Championship Site | Live Scoring
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Despite the rain and a three-hour weather delay, it was a good opening day for Wake Forest on Wednesday at the 2009 NCAA Track & Field Championships at the University of Arkansas.
Junior Caroline Vaughn and senior Michael Bingham each advanced into the semifinals of their respective events while sophomore Anna Nosenko moved into the finals of the women's 5,000-meter run.
Vaughn got the night kicked off for the Deacon contingent as she finished fourth in her heat of the women's 400-meter hurdles in a time of 58.33. The top-3 runners from each heat automatically advanced to the semis and Vaughn snagged on the next three fastest times to fill out the 18-runner semifinals.
"Caroline ran an okay race today," said Wake Forest Director of Track & Field Annie Bennett. "It wasn't great but she's moving on which is what her goal was coming into the day. She is now one of the top-18 runners in the country."
The semifinals of the women's 400-meter hurdles will be Thursday night at 7:45 pm EST. Vaughn is one of 18 runners in the semifinals and only nine will make it to Friday evening's finals.
Shortly after the 400-meter hurdle preliminaries ended, the skies opened up and a strong lightning storm rolled through the Fayetteville area. The championship was put on hold for over three hours and it wasn't until 11:15 pm EST that the runners got back on the track.
Starting his race at 10:30 pm local time, Bingham turned in a good time of 46.30 and wound up finishing second in his heat. The race started out clean and Florida State freshman Kevin Borlee jumped out quick, making up most of the stagger down the back straight away. As the runners came to the turn, Borlee still had the lead and Bingham, along with Darryl Hayes of Sam Houston State were just a few meters behind in second and third. All three runners held their positions down the final straight away and cruised through the line, advancing to Friday night's semifinals.
Bingham carries the 10th-best qualifying time into the semifinals which will feature two heats of nine runners. The top four in each heat along with the next best time will advance to Saturday afternoon's finals.
The Burlington, N.C., native is trying to become the fourth-straight 400-meter runner to win both the indoor and outdoor 400-meter national titles in the same season. Andretti Bain of Oral Roberts pulled the double last season while Ricardo Chambers of Florida State accomplished the feat in 2007 and Xavier Carter of LSU did it in 2006.
Nosenko finished seventh in her heat of the prelims of the women's 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:33.44. She was in the trail-pack for most of the race and was clipped at the line by Irine Lagat of Arizona for sixth place. The top six spots automatically advanced to the finals as well as the next four best times. Nosenko's time was the third of the next four best times and she earned a spot in the finals Friday night.
Like Nosenko, junior Thomas Sensing was competing in his first NCAA Championships this week. Sensing was supposed to compete in the prelims of the men's javelin on Wednesday but the clock had already struck midnight in Fayetteville before it was time for his heat to start.
The Franklin, Tenn., native opened with a toss of 56.34m (184-10) but fouled on his next two attempts. Thus, Sensing had to settle for 56.34 and that wasn't quite enough to make the top-12 which advanced to the finals.
Vaughn will be the only Deacon in action on Thursday as she will start the prelims of the women's 100-meter hurdles at 6:30 pm EST and then will ready herself for the semifinals of the 400-meter hurdles at 7:45 pm EST.
Players Mentioned
