By: by Scott Lipsky
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GREENSBORO, N.C. – Kennesaw State high jumper Jerome McKinzie punched his ticket to the final stage of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday, clearing his first three jumps without a miss to ensure a spot in Eugene, Ore., beginning on June 9, at the East Preliminary Round at Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C. Hurdler Kendall Parks finished 17th in the 110 Meter Hurdles to earn a spot in the Saturday’s quarterfinal.
McKinzie, who also competed in the NCAA Indoor National Championships in February, cleared 2.01 meters, 2.06 meters and 2.11 meters in succession without missing a jump, before missing three consecutive times at 2.16 meters, just above his outdoor personal best of 2.15 meters. Only seven of the 48 competitors cleared 2.16, so the remainder of the 12 available spots in the finals were awarded based on the number of misses each competitor had at the previous height of 2.11. Since McKinzie was one of just three competitors to clear 2.11 on his first try, he qualified for his second consecutive national championship final.
This is the first time a Kennesaw State Owl has qualified for an NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field final. The athletic department just became eligible for Division I national championships this year after successfully completing the NCAA's four-year, Division I re-classification process.
“My speed and technique I thought was really good today,” McKinzie said. “The first three jumps went really well, and then at the top height, I really thought I should have cleared it, but I made some mistakes. I’m really excited to be headed back to a national championship and am going to work hard to compete at a very high level there.”
Parks, a sophomore, will compete tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. along with 23 other competitors for 12 spots in Eugene. His time of 14.12 seconds was fifth in his heat and a little off of his qualifying time of 14.03 seconds, but was one of the six fastest times that was not in the top-three of their respective heats, earning him the right to compete on Saturday. Freshman Tremaine Grant also competed in the event, just missing a Saturday with a 25th place performance, with a time of 14.26 seconds.
Throws specialist Josh McNair competed in the Shot Put on Friday, earning a top toss of 16.96 meters (55’7.75”) to place 32nd.
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Jerome McKinzie clears 2.11 meters on his first try in the high jump to earn a spot in the national finals
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Kendall Parks runs the 110 Meter Hurdles in 14.12 seconds to earn a spot in Saturday's Quarterfinals
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Kendall Parks runs the 110 Meter Hurdles in 14.12 seconds to earn a spot in Saturday's Quarterfinals
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Josh McNair throws 16.96 meters in the Shot Put on Friday
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Josh McNair discusses his performance on Friday and the experience of competing in an NCAA meet
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| Tremaine Grant finishes 25th in the 110 Meter Hurdles on Friday with a time of 14.26 seconds |
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