June 8, 2006

Results

SACRAMENTO, Calif. --- Five members of the University of North Carolina track and field teams advanced from preliminaries on day one of the NCAA Championships Wednesday at Hornet Stadium on the campus of Sacramento State. Nick Owens, Sheena Gordon, Vikas Gowda, Georgia Kloss and Cassie King moved either to semifinals or finals later in the week.

Owens opened the meet for Carolina by easily advancing to Friday's men's hammer throw finals. His first throw of 218 feet, 8 inches (66.64 meters) was the fifth best mark in preliminary round, from which 12 competitors advanced. Boise State's Mattias Jons had the top preliminary mark with a throw of 227-3 (69.26m).

Kloss was the first Tar Heel on the track Wednesday, and the Atlanta, Ga., junior was one of 16 runners to advance to Thursday's semifinal round. Kloss was fourth in her heat in 2:06.49 on a day when the four heats were run at a remarkably consistent pace. Each of the 16 semifinalists finished within 1.5 seconds of California's Alysia Johnson, whose 2:05.10 was the top time of the day.

King ran her top time of the season in the steeplechase prelims and is one of 14 to advance to Friday's final. The Kernersville, N.C., senior finished the 3,000-meter race in 10:09.41, the second-fastest effort of the day. Shannon Wommack won the heat in 10:08.20.

Gordon, the 2006 indoor champion, did not miss on three attempts in the high jump prelims. She was one of four to clear 5-10 3/4 (1.80m) without missing and will advance to Friday's final.

Gowda, the only Tar Heel competing in two events, opened his meet with the top throw of the day in the discus prelims. His best mark of 196-1 (59.76m) leads a group of 12 into Friday's final.

Two other UNC student-athletes competed Wednesday but did not advance from the preliminary round. Jocelyn White and Marija Kurtovic participated in the women's discus, but missed the top 12. White, who finished fifth in the event in 2005, was 17th with a mark of 159-3 (48.55m), while Kurtovic was 19th (158-5/48.28m).

In addition to Kloss in the 800 semifinals, five other Tar Heels will be in preliminary action Thursday - Justin Ryncavage (javelin), Adam Montague (javelin), Laura Gerraughty (shot put), Megan Kaltenbach (1,500) and Gowda (shot put).

No finals have been contest thus far, so there is no team scoring as of yet.