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Solares Leads Rice into NCAA Regionals
5/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
May 24, 2007
Des Moines, Iowa -
Drake's Home Page for the Midwest Regional Meet
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A pair of seniors lead a small but powerful Rice contingent at the NCAA Midwest Regional Track & Field Championships, which begin Friday afternoon at fabled Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. The meet is the qualifying event for the NCAA Outdoor Championships to be held in two weeks in Sacramento, Calif. Athletes who finish in the top five in individual events gain an automatic berth in the national meet.
Pablo Solares is the region's fastest entrant in the 1500 meters, and the two-time Conference USA champion is among the nation's fastest with his 3:40.34 clocking from the Arkansas Twilight meet on May 4. Solares set C-USA meet records in winning the 800 and 1500 two weeks ago, and is favored to advance to the national meet. The senior from Richardson is concentrating on the 1500, forgoing his spot in the shorter event.
Thrower Luke Stadel is another C-USA champion who is expected to advance to the national meet for the Owls after winning the shot put title and finishing second in the discus at the league meet. Stadel, a senior from Osage City, Kan., has a best of 18.04 meters/59-2.25 in the shot put and has tossed the discus 55.19m/181-1 this year. His father, Ken, still holds the Rice records in both events.
Two Owls will compete in the pole vault, with C-USA runner-up Tyler Whitham and conference leader Jason Colwick looking for a top-five finish. Colwick, a freshman who won the Texas 5A state meet for San Marcos last year, was injured and missed the C-USA championships, but has a best of 5.20m/17-0.75 this season. Whitham cleared 5.05m/16-6.75 at the Arkansas Twilight meet to nab a regional place.
In the high jump, last year's NCAA ninth-placer, Omar Wright, is seeking a return to the national meet. Wright, who tied the school record with a 2.19m/7-2.25 leap last year, has a best of 2.15m/7-0.5 this year. He is the national record holder for the Cayman Islands, and finished third at the C-USA championships.
Schedule of Events for Friday, May 25
Field Events
1:00 Javelin (W) Trials & Final
1:00 Long Jump (M) Trials & Final
1:30 Hammer (M) Trials & Final
2:00 Pole Vault (M) Final (Colwick, Whitham)
2:15 High Jump (W) Final
3:45 Shot Put (W) Trials & Final
4:00 Discus (M) Trials & Final (Stadel)
4:00 Long Jump (W) Trials & Final
Track Events
2:00 4x100 (M) Prelims
2:15 4x100 (W) Prelims
2:30 1500m (M) Prelims
2:50 1500m (W) Prelims
3:10 110m Hurdles (M) Prelims
3:30 100m Hurdles (W) Prelims
3:50 100m (M) Prelims
4:10 100m (W) Prelims
4:30 400m (M) Prelims
4:50 400m (W) Prelims
5:10 800m (M) Prelims
5:30 800m (W) Prelims
5:50 400m Hurdles (M) Prelims
6:10 400m Hurdles (W) Prelims
6:30 200m (M) Prelims
6:50 200m (W) Prelims
7:10 5000m (M) Finals
7:50 5000m (W) Finals
Schedule of Events for Saturday, May 26
Field Events
1:00 Javelin (M) Trials & Final
1:00 Triple Jump (M) Trials & Final
1:30 Hammer (W) Trials & Final
2:00 Pole Vault (W) Final
2:15 High Jump (M) Final (Wright)
3:45 Shot Put (M) Trials & Final (Stadel)
4:00 Discus (W) Trials & Final
4:00 Triple Jump (W) Trials & Final
Track Events
3:00 4x100 (M) Finals
3:10 4x100 (W) Finals
3:20 1500m (M) Finals (Solares)
3:30 1500m (W) Finals
3:45 110m Hurdles (M) Finals
3:55 100m Hurdles (W) Finals
4:05 100m (M) Finals
4:10 100m (W) Finals
4:15 400m (M) Finals
4:20 400m (W) Finals
4:25 800m (M) Finals
4:30 800m (W) Finals
4:40 400m Hurdles (M) Finals
4:50 400m Hurdles (W) Finals
5:00 200m (M) Finals
5:05 200m (W) Finals
5:15 3000mSteeplechase (M)Finals
5:40 3000mSteeplechase (W) Finals
6:05 4x400 (M) Finals
6:20 4x400 (W) Finals
Players Mentioned
