Harris, Nelms Cruise to East Regional Finals
May 30, 2008
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>TALLAHASSEE, Fla.– The University of Miami’s four-time All-American Tim Harris advanced to the 800-meter East Region Final, winning his preliminary heat Friday evening. Less than an hour later, Cory Nelms won his heat in the 400-meter hurdles, joining Harris in the second day of competition at Mike Long Track on the campus of FloridaStateUniversity.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Harris, coming off his sixth overall ACC Title, ran the third-fastest time in a total of four preliminary heats with a time of 1:48.40. Currently the senior holds the nation’s third fastest time in the 800-meters at 1:47.12.
“Tim did what he had to do to get into the next round,” said head coach, Mike Ward. “He led the entire race and shut it down the last 50-meters to preserve as much energy as he could for tomorrow.”
Knowing that he probably needed a personal-best time to advance to East Region Finals in the 800-meter hurdles, the sophomore Nelms did just that with a time of 50.83. Nelms won his preliminary heat convincingly with the fourth best time overall to advance.
Ward added, “Cory knew what he had to do to advance and he went out and did it. He ran great and I look forward to tomorrow.”
Despite running his best time of the season at 14.00, Les Bradley II came just four positions short from qualifying for the regional final in the 110-meter hurdles with his 12th-place finish. Nelms came in 22nd with a time of 14.18.
Harris will look for a regional championship tomorrow, with the final heat set to start at 5:25 p.m., while Nelms is scheduled to get underway in the 400-meter hurdle final at 5:50 p.m.
