Murray State University Athletics
Photo by: Murray State Sports Information
MSU's Love Sets Course For NCAA East Track & Field Regional
5/23/2012 2:23:00 PM | Women's Track and Field
NCAA Track & Field Championship
Meet Information From North Florida
Murray State sprinter Alexis Love spent Wednesday traveling from Murray, Ky., to Jacksonville, Fla., where she will participate this weekend in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships East Regional hosted by the University of North Florida at Hodges Stadium.
For the Racers' junior, Love will be competing in her native Florida, reasonably close to her hometown in Palmetto, Fla., in the Tampa metro area.
Being on familiar ground can only help the Racer speedster.
“I'm really excited for the opportunity to represent Murray State at the NCAA's,” Love said. “I'm going to run in front of my family for the first time in my collegiate career and I want to do my best and make them proud.”
Love enters her first NCAA Championship having been named the Ohio Valley Conference Track Athlete of the Year and the top athlete at the OVC Championship this spring. In addition, Love's MSU student athlete peers recently voted her as the MSU Female Athlete of the Year.
When crunching numbers, it's easy to see why Love is competing at the NCAA level this weekend.
Her best time in the 100 meters came (May 5) at the OVC Championship in Cape Girardeau, Mo., when she posted an 11.28, to rank 11th this spring among all in NCAA Division I. In the 200 meters, Love ran a season-best 23.18 at the Ole Miss Invitational (March 31) and ranks 22nd nationally heading into the NCAA's. Love has already locked up a 100 meter spot in the USA Olympic Trails (June 22-July 1) in Eugene, Ore.
Love's 11.28 is just off the MSU and OVC record of 11.24 held by former Murray State sprinter Heather Samuel. Love's 200 meter time of 23.18 is shy of the MSU/OVC record of 23.10 also held by Samuel as she set both marks in 1994.
Love's ultimate goal this weekend is to finish in the top 12 of 48 competitors. In each of her events, the field of 48 gets trimmed to 27 for the quarterfinals and then 12 will advance to the NCAA Championship semifinals/finals (June 6-9) at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
On Thursday in Jacksonville, the 100m heats start at 5:55 p.m. CT. If Love advances, the quarterfinal heats are set for Friday at 5:45 p.m. CT. In the 200m, the first round heat races start at 7:25 p.m. CT on Friday with the quarterfinal heats set for Saturday at 6:50 p.m.
Love is accompanied this weekend by her Murray State coaches. MSU Head Coach Jenny Severns and assistant coach Adam Kiesler.
“Any time you get the chance to compete at the NCAA's, it's a great thing,” Severns said. “Now it's all about taking advantage of this opportunity and making the most of it. Alexis has performed at a high level this season and we're really looking forward to watching her compete.”
Meet Information From North Florida
Murray State sprinter Alexis Love spent Wednesday traveling from Murray, Ky., to Jacksonville, Fla., where she will participate this weekend in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships East Regional hosted by the University of North Florida at Hodges Stadium.
For the Racers' junior, Love will be competing in her native Florida, reasonably close to her hometown in Palmetto, Fla., in the Tampa metro area.
Being on familiar ground can only help the Racer speedster.
“I'm really excited for the opportunity to represent Murray State at the NCAA's,” Love said. “I'm going to run in front of my family for the first time in my collegiate career and I want to do my best and make them proud.”
Love enters her first NCAA Championship having been named the Ohio Valley Conference Track Athlete of the Year and the top athlete at the OVC Championship this spring. In addition, Love's MSU student athlete peers recently voted her as the MSU Female Athlete of the Year.
When crunching numbers, it's easy to see why Love is competing at the NCAA level this weekend.
Her best time in the 100 meters came (May 5) at the OVC Championship in Cape Girardeau, Mo., when she posted an 11.28, to rank 11th this spring among all in NCAA Division I. In the 200 meters, Love ran a season-best 23.18 at the Ole Miss Invitational (March 31) and ranks 22nd nationally heading into the NCAA's. Love has already locked up a 100 meter spot in the USA Olympic Trails (June 22-July 1) in Eugene, Ore.
Love's 11.28 is just off the MSU and OVC record of 11.24 held by former Murray State sprinter Heather Samuel. Love's 200 meter time of 23.18 is shy of the MSU/OVC record of 23.10 also held by Samuel as she set both marks in 1994.
Love's ultimate goal this weekend is to finish in the top 12 of 48 competitors. In each of her events, the field of 48 gets trimmed to 27 for the quarterfinals and then 12 will advance to the NCAA Championship semifinals/finals (June 6-9) at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
On Thursday in Jacksonville, the 100m heats start at 5:55 p.m. CT. If Love advances, the quarterfinal heats are set for Friday at 5:45 p.m. CT. In the 200m, the first round heat races start at 7:25 p.m. CT on Friday with the quarterfinal heats set for Saturday at 6:50 p.m.
Love is accompanied this weekend by her Murray State coaches. MSU Head Coach Jenny Severns and assistant coach Adam Kiesler.
“Any time you get the chance to compete at the NCAA's, it's a great thing,” Severns said. “Now it's all about taking advantage of this opportunity and making the most of it. Alexis has performed at a high level this season and we're really looking forward to watching her compete.”
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