Marshevet Hooker of the University of Texas - 4x100m in NCAA 2005 (© Kirby Lee/The Sporting Image)
Brian Robison proved that his 20.81 Shot Put of two weeks ago was no fluke; his Texas teammate, Derek Randall posted new highs in the discus; and an injury to Marshavet Hooker has apparently eliminated her from the NCAA championships’ 100 and 200 metres.
The University of Texas men’s and women’s teams, which needed "home-field advantage" like Shaquille O’Neal needs elevator shoes, nonetheless made the most of it... with one towering exception.
Hooker, who led Texas to the 2005 NCAA women’s outdoor and 2006 women’s indoor team championships, was in good form on Day One winning the Long Jump in 6.60w, anchoring her 4x100 team to a 43.03 qualifier and winning her 100 heat comfortably in 11.14w (+4.5).
But her first two steps out of the blocks in the 200 metres heats looked off-balance, and although she won the heat and qualified easily in a wind-aided 22.70, she was limping slightly when she walked off the track.
As Day Two began on the track, Hooker anchored Texas to victory in the 4x100, but the Longhorns’ time was a little slower – 43.17 -- and one sensed she might be holding back a bit. Then in the 100 final, visibly not running with her usual dominance in the first 40m, she pulled up halfway through the raced and walked off the track.
Her injury was described by a University spokesman as a "mild hamstring strain," but since she didn’t finish in either the 100 or 200 (from which she withdrew), according to the NCAA’s rules, she cannot compete in these two events two weeks hence in Sacramento at the NCAA’s.
A statement from an NCAA official, relayed to the press box, said, "If she had walked across the finish line after stopping in the race, instead of walking off the track, she would be eligible to run in the 100 metres at the Championships."
On anecdotal evidence, a pretty large majority of NCAA Division One athletics coaches now believe that the Regionals have proven to be unnecessary or worse. They feel that there are simpler and less expensive ways to qualify for the NCAAs -- ways that would also be less wearing on their athletes, especially the most gifted ones. In the last two years, international stars Tyson Gay, Nate Brannen, Alistair Cragg and Veronica Campbell have all been zapped by the Regionals rules and unable to compete in the NCAAs.
Meanwhile, the Regionals, originally instituted as qualifying meets, have now been quietly changed by the NCAA to Regional "Championships," although the first five finishers in each event automatically advance to the NCAA. Following that logic, one could call each winner of an Olympic heat an "Olympic Heat Champion," which of course would be shortened by many to just "Olympic Champion."
Brian Robison, who last year was 17th on the U.S. Shot Put list with a best of 19.70, confirmed his 20.81 at the Big 12 on 14 May with a strong series –20.02, F(21+e), 20.18, 20.82, F, F. – leaving his closest competitor Karl Erickson, more than a metre back at 19.74.
A day earlier, Robison was shunted to fourth in the discus by fellow-Texan Derek Randall, who handled the favoring-but-difficult winds well enough to post four 60m-plus throws; Randall’s best was 61.14, up from 56.14 in 2005. Erickson was second here, too with 60.23.
Strong winds made the sprint times and horizontal jumps virtually meaningless for statistical purposes, but for the record, the women’s 100 and 200 were won by Virgil Hodge (SKN), 11.10w (11.07hw) and 22.54 (+2.4) and the men’s by Churandy Martina of Curacao (9.99w) and 20.54w. Behind Hooker’s 6.60m Long Jump was Charisse Bacchus’ (TRI) third place but rare (because legal) mark of 6.51 (+2.0).
James Dunaway for the IAAF
