Scarla Nero sped to silver in the women's 10,000m finals on the opening day of action at the 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Nero clocked 36 minutes 3.28 seconds to take the runner up spot behind her Wichita State schoolmate Aliphine Tuliamuk who won in a time of 34:53.20. Scarla improved on her sixth place in last year's finals (36:08.94). She was seeking to emulate the feat of her elder sister Tonya who won the event last year. Scarla will also be in action in the 5,000m finals along with Samantha Shukla later today. Another Wichita T&T athlete Aaron Leung Woo-Gabriel also did battle in the men's 100m heats.
At the Southern Eastern (SEC) Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Emanuel Mayers was the top qualifier in the men's 400m hurdles preliminaries. The Mississippi State athlete clocked 50.46 seconds to book his spot in his second final and will be aiming to match his silver medal in 2010. Semoy Hackett (LSU) and Kai Selvon (Auburn) are into the women's 200m finals with second and fifth fastest times respectively. Hackett, last year's silver medallist, clocked 23.48 to take heat four while Sevlon was second quickest in heat two in 23.71. The finals are set for later today. Both contested the 100m heats yesterday. The 100m finals are also carded for today. Semoy is the defending SEC 100m champion.
Shermund Allsop and Jamol James bowed out in the men's 200m prelims. Allsop (LSU) finished 11th in 21.10 seconds and James in 21.76s. Ade Alleyne Forte contested the men's 400m heats last evening. Deon Lendore and Wayne Davis II (Texas A&M), Zwede Hewitt and Garyn Nero (Baylor) were all in preliminary action in the Big 12 Championships in Manhattan, Kansas last evening. Lendore and Hewitt battled in the men's 400m prelims, Davis ran in the men's 110m hurdles and Nero the men's 800m. Emanuel Stewart (Morgan State) competing in the men's javelin in the IC4A/ECAC Outdoor Championships while Robert and Richard Collingwood (Southern Mississippi) are competing in the Conference USA Championships. Commonwealth and Pan American Games silver medallist Cleopatra Borel was fifth in the Diamond League in Doha, Qatar on Friday with a distance of 18.30m, equalling the Olympic A standard.
Results
Missouri Valley Conference
Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Women's 10,000 finals
1 - Aliphine Tuliamuk - Wichita State - 34:53.20
2 - Scarla Nero - Wichita State - 36:03.28
3 - Lacey Gibson - Southern Illinois - 36:20.96
SEC Championships, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (May 10-13)
Women 200m (prelims)
3 - Semoy Hackett - LSU - 23.48
5 - Kai Selvon - Auburn - 23.71
Mens 200m (prelims)
11 - Shermund Allsop - LSU - 21.10
19 - Jamol James - Tennessee - 21.76
Mens 400m Hurdles (prelims)
1 - Emanuel Mayers - Mississippi State - 50.46
Diamond League first leg-Doha
(May 11)
Women Shot put
5 - Cleopatra Borel - T&T - 18.30(17.84, 18.30, 18.12)