June 27, 2009
USA Championships 400 hurdles results
EUGENE, Ore. - UC Davis standout Alex Wilright finished sixth in his semifinal heat of the 400-meter hurdles in 50.73 seconds Saturday at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the University of Oregon, facing an elite field of hurdlers vying for berths to the IAAF World Championships.
The top four finishers in each of Saturday's semifinal races qualified for Sunday's final. Wilright ran in the second heat which was nationally televised by ESPN. Bershawn Jackson, bronze medalist at last year's Beijing Olympics, won the heat in 48.80 seconds and had the fastest time overall.
Wilright, from Elk Grove, ran the second-fastest time of his career while racing from difficult lane 1, placing 12th overall. His clocking was just off his school-record time of 50.60 seconds established while winning the Cal-Nevada championship in March.
Wilright battled hard down the stretch in search of a top-four finish and came close to advancing. Former UCLA runner Brandon Johnson captured the final qualifying spot in the heat, crossing in 50.40, just shead of Lee Moore of Mississippi who edged Wilright with a time of 50.65. Wilright finished ahead of Florida State's Javier Garcia-Tunon (51.70) and Damian Prince (51.81).
"He did a really good job," said UC Davis associate head coach Byron Talley. "He kept his head level and was able to close down the stretch."
Wilright's racing on Saturday concludes a strong season which included him also winning the Big West title in the 400 hurdles in addition to his Cal-Nevada championship and school record.
The USA Outdoor Championships are serving as the selection meet for the IAAF World Championships in Berlin later this summer.
UC Davis' representation will conclude at Oregon on Sunday when freshman Brock Bennett competes in the javelin at the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships which are being held concurrently at Hayward Field.
USA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Hayward Field (Eugene, Ore.)
UC Davis results only
400H (semifinals) - 1. Bershawn Jackson, Nike, 48.80... 12. Alex Wilright, 50.73
