June 27, 2010
DES MOINES - Freshman Christina Holland ran the second-best time of her career to qualify for the World Junior team at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, over the weekend.
Holland was the lone Baylor competitor in the junior championships, but was joined at Drake Stadium by teammates Tiffany Townsend (100m, 200m), DeAna Carson (long jump), Whitney Prevost (200m), Courtney Thomas (200m), Michael Liggins (400m) and Nick Lyons (javelin), who all competing in the USA Championships.
Holland, who recently finished her freshman year of eligibility, qualified eighth in the preliminary round of the junior 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:00.70. On Saturday, however, Holland turned in her second-best time ever and placed second overall with a time of 58.56. The time also fell well under the World Junior Championships qualifying time of 1:00.64. The World Junior Championships take place in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, from July 19-25.
Baylor's 13-time All-American Townsend, also showed her best of the season against the nation's elite. In the 200 meters, Townsend earned her way into the finals with a season-best time of 23.03, then ripped off a time of 22.90 to place seventh in the finals on Sunday. Earlier in the week, Townsend made it through the first round of qualifying in the 100 meters with a time of 11.47, but missed the finals after running an 11.58 to place 13th in the semifinals.
Also representing Baylor in the men's 200 meters, Whitney Prevost qualified in the first round with a time of 21.01, but finished 11th in the semifinals with a time of 20.97. Courtney Thomas was 19th overall in the first round on Saturday with a time of 21.29. Also on the track for the men, Michael Liggins was 22nd in the 400 meters with a time of 46.77.
In the field events, thrower Nick Lyons was 14th in the javelin with a throw of 218-0, while DeAna Carson placed 16th in the women's long jump with a leap of 20-01.50.
Baylor was also represented by a successful contingent of former student-athletes. LeJerald Betters placed second overall in the 400 meters with a time of 44.71, while Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner qualified fourth for the finals, but did not finish.
The Bears also had former standout Lauren Hagans in the women's 1,500-meter field. Hagans finished 12th in the stacked field with a time of 4:25.03. A day earlier, Hagans turned in a time of 4:14.65 to qualify for the finals.
