The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA West Preliminary Round
Six Longhorns qualify for NCAA quarterfinals on first day of West Preliminary Round
05.23.2013 | Track & Field / Cross Country w, Track & Field / Cross Country
May 23, 2013
Results 
| Results | | Texas Quotes
NCAA West Preliminary Round Headquarters | NCAA Outdoor Championships - Declarations/Start Lists/Results
AUSTIN, Texas - The No. 11 Texas Women's Track & Field team saw six runners advance to NCAA quarterfinal rounds on Thursday in NCAA West Preliminary Round action at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Danielle Dowie, Melissa Gonzalez, Courtney Okolo, Briana Nelson, Chalonda Goodman and Kendra Chambers all moved on from their first-round races. Each will look to place in the top 12 in her event in the quarterfinals and punch her ticket to the NCAA Championships June 5-8 in Eugene, Ore.
"Today was a really good day. The kids were relaxed and confident in what they were doing," interim head coach Rose Brimmer said. Courtney Okolo had a personal best and she wasn't even pressing, and we got Melissa, a freshman who was very nervous, through as well. We wanted to get toward the drop in times during postseason and get another big drop when we get to the national meet. Everything is falling in line."
Dowie and Gonzalez kicked off the evening running session in the 400-meter hurdles, with each moving on to the next round in the event. Dowie, who was an All-American in the event with a sixth-place finish at 2012 Outdoors, completed the first-round race in 56.61 seconds, her second-fastest time of the season, to breeze easily to first in her heat for the automatic qualification.
Gonzalez posted a new personal best of 59.08 to qualify on time 21st overall and is one of just two freshmen who will compete in Friday's quarterfinal.
Another pair of Longhorns in freshman Okolo and junior Nelson moved on in the 400m. Racing in the sixth and final preliminary heat, Okolo turned it on down the backstretch to cross in a personal-best 52.13, the fastest time by a Longhorn this season. The mark also landed her at 10th in the event on the UT All-Time Outdoor Performers List. Okolo earned the automatic qualification with the second-best time overall and now owns the top three times in the event among UT quarter-milers in 2013.
Nelson ran a 52.87, establishing herself in second place in her heat before easing up in the final seconds to earn the automatic advance. She was second only to top quarterfinal qualifier Regina George of Arkansas, and advanced seventh overall.
Seniors Goodman and Chambers earned their spots in the 100m and 800m quarterfinals, respectively. Goodman posted a wind-aided 11.33, placing second in her heat for the automatic qualification and registering the ninth-fastest qualifying time.
Chambers, who earned All-America honors with an eighth-place finish in the 800 at the NCAA Indoor Championships and who finished 10th in the event at 2012 NCAA Outdoors, tallied a 2:07.22 for second in her heat and ninth overall. Junior Katie Hoaldridge placed 32nd in the event with a time of 2:10.23.
Junior A'Lexus Brannon, looking to move on to the NCAA Championships in long jump, narrowly missed the top-16 finalists group, took 17th with a leap of 20 feet, 1 inch (6.12m).
In addition to the next rounds of the 400m, 100m, 800m and 400m hurdles on Friday, Texas will have three more looking to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal rounds in sophomore Morgan Snow (100m hurdles), Goodman (200m) and Okolo (200m). Competing for national-meet qualification tomorrow will be sophomore Kaitlin Petrillose and senior Natasha Masterson in pole vault, junior Shanay Briscoe in high jump and junior Brittany Marches in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase.
Friday's session kicks off at Noon Central with the women's discus, while Petrillose and Masterson will be UT's first competitors at 1 p.m.
TEXAS RESULTS - NCAA WEST PRELIMINARY ROUND | THURSDAY, MAY 23
Q - advanced to quarterfinal automatically | q - advanced to quarterfinal on time
* - denotes outdoor collegiate best | w - wind-aided mark (+2.0 m/s or greater)
400m hurdles (First Round)
2. Danielle Dowie, 56.61Q
21. Melissa Gonzalez, 59.08q*
100 meters (First Round)
9. Chalonda Goodman, 11.33wQ
400 meters (First Round)
2. Courtney Okolo, 52.13Q* -
7. Briana Nelson, 52.87Q
800 meters (First Round)
9. Kendra Chambers, 2:07.22Q
32. Katie Hoaldridge, 2:10.23
Long jump
17. A'Lexus Brannon, 6.12m/20-1
