Troy University Athletics
Competition Begins Thursday for Trojans
6/8/2010 3:00:00 PM | Track & Field
Both student-athletes have battled adversity throughout the season, but were able to battle their way through the East Region Preliminaries with the new qualification process; earning a spot in the championships.
Neither student-athlete will have to wait long, as they begin their quest for a national championship on Thursday.
McKenzie comes into the meet with the 13th-fastest time after the preliminary rounds, running a 13.69 in the East Preliminary Round. He was able to finish fifth overall in the quarterfinals, after finishing second in the first round. The senior is in the first heat of the day, and is in what many people would call "the fastest heat of the day."
McKenzie has the sixth-fastest time in his heat; trailing Jeffrey Julmis of Kansas State at 13.59 seconds; Cory Nelms at 13.60 seconds; Barrett Nugent of LSU and Andrew Riley of Illinois at 13.67 seconds; as well as Tyrell Ross of Nebraska at 13.68 seconds.
He is chasing Ronnie Ash of Oklahoma (13.37 seconds) and Johnny Dutch of South Carolina (13.53 seconds) for the fastest time in the country this season.
Meanwhile, Stamper will wait until Saturday for the long jump, beginning in the early morning hours. The senior is in the second flight of jumpers to take to the runway, and will go second in his flight. Stamper was able to get to the championships with a season-best jump of 7.60 meters in the East Preliminaries; however, now he must push the envelope as he enters the competition with the 15th-best jump in the country after the regionals.
Both student-athletes will be looking to qualify for the finals which begin on Saturday, and can be seen live on CBS. For more information, check back with TroyTrojans.com.
