Posted: June 12, 2006

Athletics: News & Notes, Volume 7, Number 46

LSU's Xavier Carter wins four events at NCAA Championships

Xavier Carter made history this weekend when he won four titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, California.

Carter started off Friday running the second leg of LSU's 4x100m relay team, which was victorious in 38.44 seconds over runner-up Tennessee's time of 38.86. Saturday began with a 10.09 seconds victory in the 100 meters and continued a half hour later with a winning 400m time of 44.53 seconds. Carter finished off his weekend anchoring LSU's 4x400m relay team, which won the national title by more then half a second.

With his performance in Sacramento, Carter becomes the first athlete since Jesse Owens in 1936 to win four titles at a single NCAA Outdoor Championship and the first athlete ever to win both the 100m and 400m at an NCAA Championships.

"I feel like I succeeded and reached the goals I set for myself," said Carter to the IAAF News. "I feel honored to be in the same sentence as Jesse Owens."

Carter is scheduled to compete at the 2006 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis, June 21-25.

Florida State men & Auburn women win first national titles

2006 marks an historic year for the Florida State men's team and Auburn's women's squad as both teams won their first ever NCAA Outdoor track and field team titles over the weekend in Sacramento.

Florida State covered the field in scoring 67 points, with three individual champions and three runner-up finishes. Senior Garrett Johnson won the shot put with a toss of 20.29 meters/66 feet, 7inches and senior Rafeeq Curry won the triple jump with a leap of 16.70m/54-9.5. Sophomore Walter Dix won the 200m in 20.30 and was runner-up in the 100m in 10.18. Junior Tom Lancashire was second in the 1,500m after a strong race in 3:44.20, and sophomore Ricardo Chambers was the runner-up in the 400m in 44.71.

LSU came in second in the men's competition with 51 points, ahead of third place Texas with 36 points.

The Auburn women's team scored 57 points to win the NCAA Outdoor team crown finishing ahead of runner-up USC with 38.5 points and South Carolina with 38 points. Auburn was led by a 1-2 finish in the 400m hurdles by Markita James (54.47) and Josanne Lucas (55.29). Senior Jovanee Jarrett won the long jump with a leap of 6.46m/21-2.5. Junior Kerron Stewart was the runner-up in both the 100m and 200m, clocking in at 11.36 and 22.65 respectively.

Hurdlers break records at NCAA Championships

USC's Virginia Powell smashed her own collegiate record in the 100m hurdles running a world-leading time of 12.48 seconds. She had set the previous record of 12.55 the day before in the semifinals.

Aries Merritt of Tennessee matched Powell's record breaking performance in bettering the 28-year-old meet record in the 110 meter hurdles held by National Track & Field Hall of Famer Greg Foster. Merritt finished in13.21 seconds beating Foster's 13.22 record time. Merritt's performance ties reigning Olympic champion Xiang Liu for the fastest time in the world this year.

2005 NCAA Outdoor men's high jump champion senior Jesse Williams successfully defended his title Friday clearing 2.32m/7 feet 7.25 inches. Williams is now tied with SvatoslavTon from the Czech Republic for the leading clearance in the world this year.

2004 Olympian Laura Gerraughty of North Carolina won the women's shot put with a throw of 18.32m/60 feet 1.25 inches, and 2003 NCAA outdoor shot put champion Becky Breisch of Nebraska was the runner-up with a heave of 18.05m/59-2.75.

For more information on the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships, including complete results, visit www.ncaasports.com.

Powell wins 2006 Honda Award

USA standout women's hurdler Virginia Powell on Sunday was named Sunday the winner of the 2006 Honda Award, signifying the outstanding college athlete in her sport.

The award is based on balloting among 1,000 NCAA-member schools. The winner in each sport becomes a finalist for the Honda-Broderick Cup, signifying the female college athlete of the year, which will be presented June 26, 2006 in New York.

Cantwell puts on a show at Gateshead

2004 World Indoor Champion Christian Cantwell won the men's shot put Sunday with a toss of 22.45 meters/73 feet 8 inches at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Gateshead, England.

Cantwell was down to teammate and 2006 World Indoor Champion Reese Hoffa entering his last attempt by one centimeter. In his final throw Cantwell flew past Hoffa putting 22.45m/73 feet 8 inches, a toss that ranks as the farthest throw in the world for the last two years.

"This was a great competition," Cantwell told the IAAF News. "I think I can go over 23 meters and hope to do that in the U.S. Championships."

Ranked #1 in the world by Track and Field News at 400 meters, 2005 World Outdoor Championships 400m silver medalist Sanya Richards ran the third fastest time in the world this season of 22.25 seconds, to win the women's 200 meters. Richards also holds the fastest time in the world in the 400m with 49.82.

2003 World Outdoor 100m gold and 200m silver medalist Torri Edwards won the 100 meters in 11.06 seconds breaking the 20-year-old stadium record held by Merlene Ottey. Edwards also ran the 200m and was the runner-up in 22.50 seconds.

Chaunte Howard , the 2005 World Outdoor silver medalist, won the women's high jump with a clearance of 1.98m/6-6, and three-time Olympian Amy Acuff was the runner-up with her clearance of 1.96m/6-5.

2006 World Indoor Champion Brad Walker won the men's pole vault with a seasonal best and a U.S. leading clearance of 5.85m/19-2.25. 2004 Olympic silver medalist Toby Stevenson was third with a best of 5.75m/18-2.5.

For more information and complete results on the Norwich Union British Grand Prix at Gateshead visit IAAF.org.

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