The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Okolo claims fourth in 400 meters to lead Women's Track & Field on third day of NCAA Championships
06.07.2013 | Track & Field / Cross Country w, Track & Field / Cross Country
June 7, 2013
EUGENE, Ore. - Freshman Courtney Okolo raced to a fourth-place finish in the 400 meters to lead Texas Women's Track & Field on the third day of competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field.
Okolo crossed in 51.96 seconds, a personal best and the first sub-52.00 mark of her career, to earn five team points for Texas. Running in the outside lane after earning the last qualification on time out of Wednesday's semifinal, Okolo turned it on in the last 150 meters to move her way up to fifth and edged Arkansas' Regina George at the finish line.
"In lane eight, I knew I had to run my own race because there was nobody out in front of me to catch," Okolo said. "Breaking 52 is something I've been looking forward to this whole season, so to finally get it at the national meet is a big accomplishment. To not make the final indoors and to come out here, PR and get fourth place makes me really happy."
Okolo is the first Longhorn to score for UT in the 400 outdoors since LaTasha Kerr placed seventh in 2006. Okolo's fourth-place result was the highest for a Longhorn in the event since Sanya Richards earned third in 2004.
Also scoring for Texas on Friday was junior Danielle Dowie in the 400m hurdles. Dowie placed eighth with a time of 57.29 in her second consecutive NCAA intermediate hurdles final after earning an automatic qualification out of the semifinal. She picked up one point to add to UT's team score.
Senior Natasha Masterson and sophomore Kaitlin Petrillose were also in action for the Longhorns Friday in pole vault. Masterson, competing in her first NCAA final, cleared a career-best 4.25m (13-11.25) to finish ninth, just shy of scoring and earning All-America status. Petrillose tied for 13th with a top height of 4.15m (13-7.25).
"I had a great time today. I was definitely feeling everything that was going on and feeling really good about it," Masterson said. "It ended a little short for me, but I'm satisfied with the way I felt and the way I handled the occasion. The huge crowd and everyone feeling the energy really pumped me up and I embraced that."
Senior Mia Behm completed her Texas career running in the NCAA 5,000m final and finished 20th in 16:29.66.
The Longhorns will close out NCAA Outdoors on Saturday in four events. UT's 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay squads will bookend the running portion of the day, while junior Shanay Briscoe will contend in high jump and sophomore Morgan Snow will race in the final of the 100m hurdles.
TEXAS RESULTS - NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
FRIDAY, JUNE 7 | * - denotes career best
FINALS
400m hurdles
8. Danielle Dowie, 57.29 (1 point)
400m
4. Courtney Okolo, 51.96* (5 points)
5,000m
20. Mia Behm, 16.29.66
Pole vault
9. Natasha Masterson, 4.25m (13-11.25)*
T13. Kaitlin Petrillose, 4.15m (13-7.25)
