June 4, 2008

Live Results

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - A school-record 10 Cal State Northridge track & field student-athletes will represent the Matadors at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championship at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa from June 11 through June 14.

The 10 Northridge athletes qualified in 10 different events and surpasses the eight Matadors that qualified for the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championship in Sacramento.

The six Matador men to compete in Des Moines include seniors DaShalle Andrews, Justin Johnson and Thomas Ross, junior Bradley Ike, sophomore Derek Cooper and freshman Reindell Cole.

The four Northridge women to qualify are all sophomores: Desirae Gonder, Sherrina Lofton, Stephanie Ralls and Shelese Ruffin.

Andrews, the defending NCAA Champion in the long jump, does not qualify in the long jump this season but in the triple jump. Andrews jumped a lifetime-best 52-5.25 (15.98) to finish second at the NCAA West Regional. He ranks 17th in the triple jump heading into the Nationals, just his second berth in the NCAA triple jump. Andrews also qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2007 (long jump, triple jump), 2005 (long jump) and 2004 (long jump).

Andrews begins competition in the men's triple jump on Friday, June 13 at 4:15 p.m.

Johnson, who was injured on the first day of the Big West decathlon, looks to be heatlthy as he brings the 12th-best points total in the decathlon into the Nationals. Johnson, who trailed only eventual Big West decathlon champion Chris Richardson of Long Beach State before going down with an injury in the high jump, scored a school-record and lifetime-best 7,473 points at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays (Apr. 2-5) where he placed sixth. Johnson also qualified for the NCAA decathlon in 2006.

Johnson will begin the decathlon competition on Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Ross earns his second consecutive trip to the NCAA's after finishing fourth in the 110 hurdles at the West Regional. Ross ran 13.80 in the final after a prelim time of 13.72. The senior ran a school-record and lifetime-best 13.65 to win the Big West 110 meter title for the second straight year. Ross, who advanced to the NCAA semifinals in 2007, comes in with the 12th fastest time in the championship.

Ross' competition in the 110 meter hurdles is scheduled for Thursday, June 12 with the first round beginning at 4:50 p.m.

Ike comes into the Nationals ranked 23rd in the 100 meters with a time of 10.35 which he ran at the NCAA West Regional in Northridge. His time came with a 2.7 wind therefore his lifetime-best in the 100 meters stands at 10.49 which he ran at the 2008 Big West Championships.

The men's 100 meters is scheduled for day one of the championships with first round races beginning at 5:45 p.m.

Cooper, the Big West champion in the discus, is making his NCAA Outdoor Championship debut this season as he qualifies 17th. His season-best throw of 186-5 (56.83) came at the Mt. SAC Relays on Apr. 20. Cooper then threw 179-0 (54.56) to win the Big West title and then posted a mark of 184-6 (56.23) to finish seventh at the NCAA West Regional in Northridge.

Cooper and the men's discus competition is scheduled for Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.

Cole, the Big West Freshman of the Year, is the 2007 NCAA Indoor Champion in the long jump. He shattered the Cal State Northridge outdoor record in the long jump with a leap of 26-9.75 (8.17) at the Steve Scott Invitational at UC Irvine on May 3. His long jump still stands as the best in the country heading into the championships. After winning the Big West title at 5-2 (7.67), Cole finished sixth at 24-6.50 (7.48) at the NCAA West Regional.

The men's long jump event is scheduled for day one of the championships at 3:30 with qualifying.

Gonder, the conference runner-up in the high jump after posting a lifetime-best 6-0.50 (1.84), is also making her NCAA Outdoor Championship debut. She then finished fourth at the West Regional after clearing 5-9.25 (1.76) to finish fourth. Gonder comes in ranked a Northridge women's-best sixth in the nation.

The women's high jump competition is scheduled for Wednesday, June 11 at 4:00 p.m.

Lofton continued her impressive sophomore season by finishing fourth in the 200 meters in a time of 23.88. She ran a lifetime-best 23.50 to win the Big West 200 meter title and then finished fourth at Regionals. Lofton, who also narrowly missed qualifying in the 100 meters, ranks 23rd in the 100 meters. She is making her second trip to the NCAA Championships after being part of the Matadors' 4x100 relay contingent in 2007.

The women's 200 meter qualifying gets underway on Thursday, June 12 at 5:10 p.m.

Ralls, the Big West Champion in the javelin at 154-11 (47.21), makes her NCAA Outdoor debut in Des Moines. She improved on her Big West leading mark with a lifetime-best throw of 160-11 (49.04) to finish second to Oregon's Rachel Yurkovich at the West Regional. Ralls ranks 25th on the javelin performance list heading into the Nationals.

The women's javelin will be the first field event contested on Thursday and is scheduled for 2:15 p.m.

Ruffin was the last Matador to earn a berth in the championships as she qualified in the 400 meters. The Big West Champion at 53.80 (lifetime-best), she then placed sixth at the West Regional in a time of 54.89. Based on her time of 53.80 Ruffin earned the 28th and final spot in the 400 meter field. This will be Ruffin's first trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

The women's 400 meter first round is scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE IN THE NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP (LAST 10 YEARS)

2008 @ Des Moines, Iowa - (10 qualified - 6 men, 4 women) DaShalle Andrews (Triple Jump), Reindell Cole (Long Jump), Derek Cooper , Desirae Gonder, Bradley Ike, Justin Johnson, Sherrina Lofton, Stephanie Ralls, Thomas Ross, Shelese Ruffin.

2007 @ Sacramento, Calif. - (8 qualified - 3 men, 1 woman + relay) DaShalle Andrews (Long Jump, Triple Jump), Rolando Felizola (Long Jump, Triple Jump), Deanna Goodwin (400 Meters), Thomas Ross (110 Hurdles), 4x100 relay (Shauna Hackett, Goodwin, Lofton, Dominique Calvin, Julie Eze).

2006 @ Sacramento, Calif. - (2 qualified - 2 men, 1 woman) Anthony Brown (110 Hurdles), Justin Johnson (Decathlon), Jeré Summers (Shot Put).

2005 @ Sacramento, Calif. - (5 qualified - 5 men) DaShalle Andrews (Long Jump), Tomas Fajardo (Discus), Jeremy Garcia (Long Jump), Alex Marbley (High Jump), Johnny Wiley (Triple Jump).

2004 @ Austin, Texas - (5 qualified - 2 men, 3 women) Rashaad Allen (100 Meters), DaShalle Andrews (Long Jump), Shauna Hackett (100 Meters), Laura Sauao (Shot Put), Carol Stevenson (Discus).

2003 @ Sacramento, Calif. - (7 qualified - 4 men, 3 women) Comfort Agara (400 Hurdles), Rashad Allen (100 Meters), Alex Marbley (High Jump), Aisha Margain (200 Meters), Hung Nguyen (100 Meters), Jason Romero (High Jump), Frances Santin (400 Hurdles).

2002 @ Baton Rouge, La. - (4 qualified - 4 women): Sammie Freeman (Javelin), Heather Heron (100 Hurdles), Dee Scott (Triple Jump), Annetta Wells (200 Meters).

2001 @ Eugene, Ore. - (5 qualified - 2 men, 3 women) Steve Lamoure, Clinté Motley, Frances Santin, Dee Scott, Carol Stevenson.

2000 @ Durham, N.C. - (2 qualified - 2 women) Brandi Prieto (Triple Jump), Nancy James (800 Meters).

1999 @ Boise, Idaho - (1 qualified - 1 woman) Brandi Prieto (Triple Jump).

1998 @ Buffalo, N.Y. - (5 qualified - 2 men, 3 women) Beth Burton (Shot Put, Hammer), Billy Bush (Shot Put), Joe Criner (200 Meters), Cheree Hicks (Shot Put, Discus), Christina Tolson (Shot Put, Hammer).

- GO MATADORS -