In her final regular season home meet of her running career, hurdler Jericka Duncan made sure to keep it memorable.
Duncan placed first in the 400 meter hurdles, finishing just .03 seconds ahead of the Regional qualifying time of 1:00.82 Saturday at the Bobcat Invitational, a meet where no team scores were kept.
I was driven
she said. I just really came out here with the intentions (of qualifying). I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself and I think I just came out here and said 'Even if I don't qualify
I'm going to come out here and leave it on the track and do the best I can.' And that's what I did today.
Duncan has already qualified in the 100 hurdles, but it was the 400 hurdles that coach Clay Calkins said was her primary event. Friday night Duncan competed with eight other Ohio runners in the Hillsdale Relays, a much faster meet, to try and qualify for Regionals there. But after a fast start, Duncan stumbled down the stretch, leaving her having to race again the following day.
Yesterday I ran at Hillsdale
a Mondo track
she said. I mean
when you say Mondo
it means something
because even the qualifying standards are lower. And I felt really good going out there. (I) got off to a really good start
had first going into the last straightaway and clipped the last hurdle and wound up getting fifth overall.
Her back-to-back performances left the coaching staff encouraged, though. With the Mid-American Conference Championships just two weeks away, Duncan appears to be in solid form to race consecutive days at the top of her level.
Running it back to back -at Hillsdale last night and then again today -that's a good signal to us as coaches
Calkins said, because that's how it's going to be at the MAC meet -prelims then finals. So that's good to see that she can come back the next day and get a sub time from the day before.
Duncan is still the only Bobcat to put up a qualifying time for Regionals. In the next two weeks, between her own heats, she will be cheering on her teammates hoping for some company in Bloomington, Ind., nearly one month from now.
Sprinter John Willis is one of several athletes close to qualifying in their respective events. Willis did not compete in the 400 meter dash, his primary event, in order to build speed work. But with only two meets to go before Regionals, he said he's beginning to feel slight pressure to put up a qualifying time.
We have a big week next week at the Jesse Owens Invitational
