AUSTIN, Texas – Despite lengthy weather delays, competition resumed for the SIUE track and field team at the NCAA Division I West Preliminaries Friday and Ahmad Evans gave himself an opportunity to qualify for the final round of NCAA National Championships.
Evans finished 22nd overall in the men's 200 meters with a time of 21.36 seconds, qualifying him for quarterfinals in the event and moving one step closer to the national finals June 5 in Eugene, Ore.
Head Coach Kareem Jackson applauded Evans for his ability to stay focused despite the weather delays which forced the race to be run at approximately 11:40 p.m.
"That shows some real mental toughness from Ahmad," Jackson said. "He was ready to compete and he had a great race. We talked about how important it was to get out aggressively, and he did that."
Evans is scheduled to compete at 7:50 p.m. Saturday night, but more bad weather in the Austin area could delay his race once again.
"It's real simple for him," Jackson added. "If he runs what he's capable of running, he's going to have a great shot to qualify. He needs to execute like he did on Friday, but he also has to do a better job of holding on during the last 50 meters of the race."
Also competing for SIUE on Friday was Jatavia Wright, who ran in the women's 100 meter hurdles. The sophomore finished 38th in the event with a time of 14.28, after her race was also delayed due to the weather.
Track events on the meet's third and final day of competition are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Mike A. Myers Stadium Saturday night.
