By: by Scott Lipsky
Full Results
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Kennesaw State’s Kendall Parks wrapped up a successful weekend at the NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships East Preliminary Rounds on Saturday, placing 22nd in the Quarterfinals of the 110 Meter Hurdles with a time of 14.14 seconds at Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro, N.C.
Parks, a sophomore, earned his way to Saturday’s quarterfinal by way of his performance on Friday evening, when his 14.12 second run placed him 17th in the 48-person field, being one of 24 runners to move on to Saturday’s quarterfinal round. The top 12 finishers on Saturday earned a spot in the national semifinals in Eugene, Ore., beginning June 9.
This was the first NCAA Division I Championship appearance for Parks, as it was for each of his four teammates. Kennesaw State just became eligible for Division I national championship participation beginning with the 2009-2010 athletic year, as the athletic department recently completed the NCAA’s mandatory, four-year, Division I re-classification process. It was Parks’ 14.03 second performance at the Atlantic Sun Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship on May 15 that put him 19th in the NCAA East Region for the event and earned him a spot in the field. He finished second in the conference in that event, and was also a part of the 4x100 Relay Team that earned second place in the conference.
"This weekend was a great experience for me. Even though I made some mistakes in both races, it can be used as a valuable learning experience," said Parks following Saturday's race. "Both races were very intense, since I had some of the best runners in the country directly competing with me. I can't wait to get be back here next year and thereafter, and I know I can do what it takes to make it to the national finals."
Owls freshman Tremaine Grant also qualified for the Preliminary Round of the 110 Meter Hurdles, competing on Friday evening and posting a time of 14.26 seconds to place 25th and narrowly miss out on Saturday competition.
For the Kennesaw State men, the season will continue in two weeks, when high jumper Jerome McKinzie heads to Eugene, Ore., in his quest for the Owls’ first-ever national championship at the Division I level. McKinzie, who also competed in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the High Jump in Fayetteville, Ark., in March, cleared a top height of 2.11 meters in the Preliminary Round yesterday to earn one of 12 spots in the national finals that were awarded in Greensboro this weekend.
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Kendall Parks completes the Quaterfinal Round of the 110 Meter Hurdles in 14.14 seconds on Saturday (far left lane)
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