March 7, 2009

AMES, IOWA – Five-time All-American Brandi Cross did her part to solidify a spot at the NCAA Indoor Championships next weekend after improving her time in the 400m dash to 53.47 Saturday at the Cyclone Last Chance Meet hosted by Iowa State.

Cross, who entered the meet “on the bubble” of being selected for the championships helped ease the uncertainty by winning the event with a time that moves her up eight spots on the descending order list to ninth nationally, barring dramatic increases in times from other athletes competing at various meets throughout the day. Teammate Nadonnia Rodrigues remains at a season best time of 53.41 – right above Cross at eighth nationally – after a disqualification Saturday kept her from potentially increasing her time.

Junior Obakeng Ngwigwa took 10th on the men’s side of the event at 47.72. The final Gamecock to compete at the meet was junior Danielle Barnes who ran in the 800m run for the first time this season. Barnes narrowly missed a provisional mark, crossing the line eighth at 2:13.18, four seconds shy of a provisional time.

AT FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. (FRIDAY NIGHT)
Sophomore All-American Antonio Sales was the lone Gamecock to travel to the University of Arkansas Friday where he competed in the 200m dash. Sales won the event at a season best 20.89, a strong increase that propels him from 28th nationally to sixth nationally, quite possibly cementing a bid to the championships in College Station next weekend.

A group of 35 athletes also traveled to Blacksburg, Va., Saturday to compete in the Last Chance Meet hosted by Virginia Tech. Results from that meet will be available at the conclusion of the events.

IOWA STATE RESULTS
Women’s 400m (12:30 pm): Nadonnia Rodrigues (DQ), Brandi Cross (1st-53.47)
Men’s 400m (12:50 pm): Obakeng Ngwigwa (10th-47.72)
Women’s 800m (2:05 pm): Danielle Barnes (8th-2:13.18)