JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Friday began with bang and finished with an exclamation point as the Florida State track & field teams advanced five more athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships from the East Preliminary at UNF’s Hodges Stadium.
Seminole stars Kellion Knibb and Zak Seddon took care of business in the discus and steeplechase, respectively – the first and last events of the day - but gained company on the charter plane to Eugene, Ore. from three first-time NCAA Championship qualifiers.
Seeded 27th in a field of 48, graduate transfer Sasha-Ann Lebert summoned up a four-meter personal-best in the discus (55.65m/182-7) to qualify fourth and join Knibb on college track & field’s big stage.
Lebert doesn’t remember much about the specifics of her second attempt of the competition.
“I know it felt really good, but I cannot tell you the feeling,” Lebert said. “I just knew it was a good throw. It felt really easy and smooth; it felt really good coming out. My whole technique, going through all of my positions, felt really good.”
So does the sound of being a two-time NCAA Championship qualifier, having earned his first trip indoors in the weight throw.
Florida State head coach Bob Braman called Lebert’s trip-clinching second attempt, the No. 2 throw in FSU history, “shockingly wonderful to see.”
“I’m extremely proud of her, because we’ve seen it in practice but she hasn’t been able to put it together,” Knibb said of her training partner and fellow Jamaican. “When I saw her put it together today I was even more proud of her than I was myself.”
And Knibb had plenty to be proud of she took the lead on her third and final throw (59.81m/196-2) to pass Michigan State’s Katelyn Daniels by 11 inches and remain unbeaten against collegiate competition this season.
“The main goal is just to qualify coming into the meet, but when I realized that the win was within reach I just went for it,” Knibb said. “I like [being unbeaten] because it applies a certain kind of pressure that I haven’t had all season, so it helps to put pressure on me.”
“Kellion made a statement on her last throw that winning, even in a qualifying meet, is what she’s all about,” Braman said. “Coach [Dorian] Scott has done a magnificent job with our throwers.”
As the evening session on the track began the Seminole women took care of business in the preliminary round of the 100-meter hurdles. Junior Nicole Setterington (13.37), freshman Peta-Gay Williams (13.37) and grad student Meme Jean (13.42) all advanced automatically to Saturday’s quarterfinals.
Setterington and Jean finished second in the third and fourth heats, respectively, while Williams placed third in the sixth heat. Their times ranked 14-16 from the field of 48 as they move on to Saturday’s 7:05 p.m. quarterfinal.
Melissa-Maree Farrington (13.57) finished one spot behind Williams but did not advance.
“Our hurdle ladies did a nice job,” Braman said. “They’ve been sitting around for three days and really needed to get this first race in. It wasn’t perfect, but three earned automatic qualifiers and Melissa was the first not to advance. Coach [Brandon] Hon will have them ready to run their best tomorrow, I’m sure”
The second big surprise of the day came from freshman sprinter Edward Clarke, who arrived at his first NCAA postseason meet as the No. 8 seed but handled the pressure of the moment with a strong second-place quarterfinal heat finish behind Tennessee’s Christian Coleman in 10.35.
“Making it to nationals is always a good accomplishment,” said Clarke, who walked off the track seemingly more upset about losing his heat than happy he is headed to Oregon. “I’d rather win the race, I’ll take what I can get now and go back to the drawing board to get better at nationals…
“It’s a good experience; first-year, first nationals. You can’t complain. I’m looking forward to the experience so I can back there again next year.”
“It was a great effort for Eddie Clark, a freshman,” Braman said. “That’s a lot of moxie and control to do that.”
As the evening wound down FSU’s distance group joined in on the fun. Sophomore Bridget Blake needed a big, last lap kick and a personal-best 10:07.87 to claim the 12th and final qualifying spot for the June 8-11 championship meet. Blake had to nervously wait out the third and final heat to see if her fourth-place, first heat time would stand up.
“She was hurting today but she had the best gut-check of her career; she had to go from sixth to fourth and she doesn’t make it without that.”
Seddon followed up with a trip-clinching win in the first heat of the men’s steeplechase (8.41.33), though he had to wade through a tightly contested field before he passed Furman’s Troy Reeder for the win coming off the final water barrier.
“Zak had to work his way through this big crowd,” Braman said of Seddon, the No. 2 seed nationally. “You can only lose. You’re supposed to win. He handled himself probably better than the coach did. I was over here stressing.”
Four Noles who saw their seasons come to an end out-performed their seeds entering the meet.
Jake Burton advanced to the quarterfinals in the 800, but a fifth-place heat finish in 1:48.97 left him in 17th-place overall; a significant improvement over his No. 27 seed from the field of 48.
Juniors Emmanuel Onyia and Chad DaCosta entered the discus as the 17th and 34th seeds, but finished 16th and 20th overall. Onyia registered a best of 55.54 meters (182-3), while DaCosta posted a season-best 54.62 (179-2).
Kiara Wright shared 32nd place in the high jump (1.66m/5-5.25), an improvement over her No. 37 seed.
Collectively, it was a strong and satisfying day for the Noles, who will send seven individuals and two relays into action on Saturday with plenty more room for NCAA Championship qualifiers.
Freshmen Armani Wallace and Ashton Butler will compete in the triple jump at 3 p.m., followed by DaCosta in the shot put. FSU’s women and men will try and qualify 4x100 relay teams and senior Georgia Peel will chase her first NCAA appearance in the 1500.
The trio of 100-meter women hurdlers will close it out.
“We need to have this kind of day tomorrow,” Braman said. “It would not only justify our top 20 ranking, but give us a chance to do something better than that. And that’s what we’re hoping for.”
You can follow the Noles throughout the day via Twitter @FSU_Track.
