SUU T&F - Kristi Koplin to Represent Southern Utah at NCAA Championships Add Comment    Jun 01, 2010

AUSTIN, Texas - May 29 - Kristi Koplin was only a few feet short in the women's discus on Friday, but did not leave room for doubt in the women's hammer, throwing a 8th-place mark of 190 feet 10 inches and will now advance as one of 24 athletes in the nation in the event.

Koplin needed to finish in the top 12 of the event and was in the company of qualifying athletes from Southern Illinois, Kansas, Stanford, Texas Tech, Idaho, UTEP, USC and Nebraska who will be competing at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Koplin will be the lone representative for Southern Utah as the rest of the Thunderbirds competing on the final day of competition at the NCAA West Preliminaries did not qualify.  Sharla Manuele, competing in a pair of finals on the day, finished 20th in the women's 1,500-meters with a time of 4:29.87 and 21st in the women's 5,000-meters (17:07.57).  Both times were slower than her season-bests this year with her time in the 1,500 also slower than her performance in the qualifying race on Thursday.

Carlos Valle's toss of 173 feet three inches in the men's discus placed the senior in the top third of the competitors with a 17th-place finish.  However, the senior needed a mark over 178 feet one inch to have qualified in the top 12.

Wade Nielson shared a similar fate in the men's high jump that wrapped up late on Friday night, clearing the bar at six feet seven inches.  The mark beat athletes from Kansas State, Wisconsin, Illinois State and Montana, but ultimately left Nielson tied for 34th.  The qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships was six feet 11 inches.

Koplin will now look towards the championships where she will compete in the preliminary and final round on Thursday, June 10.  The women's hammer is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. on the campus of the University of Oregon.

-Utah College Sports News staff and wire reports

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Utah College Sports Wire