University of Connecticut Athletics
Four Huskies Primed For NCAA Championships
6/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
June 7, 2011
Full Schedule | Heat Sheets | Championship Central
STORRS, Conn. - The 2011 NCAA Track season concludes this week and UConn will look to leave a lasting impression on the NCAA landscape with four student-athletes competing for a shot at a national title. The NCAA Championships take place Wednesday, June 8-Saturday, June 11, in Des Moines, Iowa hosted by Drake University.
The NCAA Championships will have a live webcast from Wednesday to Friday available on NCAA.com or by CLICKING HERE. CBS Sports Network will also televise part of the action from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday night and from 1-3 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday afternoon. Live results can be found at UConnhuskies.com.
 Brigitte Mania looks for her second All-America honor  | |
UConn enters the final week of the NCAA season with four athletes remaining with dreams of an NCAA Championship. Representing Connecticut in Des Moines, Iowa will be senior Meghan Cunningham (Simsbury, Conn.) in the 3,000m steeple chase and sophomore Brigitte Mania (Flemington, N.J.) in the 800m. They will be joined by freshmen Lauren Sara (Stratford, Conn.) in the 10,000m and Ilva Bikanova (Madonas, Latvia) in the high jump.
Cunningham, also the captain of the women's soccer team, enters the NCAA Championships ranked 17th in the field after running 10:11.57 at the NCAA East Regionals. Cunningham broke the school record in the event en route to a fourth-place finish in her heat. Cunningham took home the BIG EAST Title in the steeple chase earlier this season but will compete in her first NCAA Championship meet.
The semifinals of the steeple chase will have two heats beginning at 7:30 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, June 9. The top-five from each heat along with the next-two fastest times will advance to the NCAA Championship on Saturday, June 11 at 12:54 p.m. Central Time.
Mania, the lone competitor with NCAA Championship experience, was previously named a Second Team All-American during the indoor season as part of UConn's distance medley relay squad which placed 12th at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
 Ilva Bikanova is UConn's highest ranked competitor this weekend. | |
Mania enters the 800m ranked 18th in the field of 24 after placing fourth in her heat, running 2:05.94. The semifinals of the 800m will have three heats beginning at 6 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday, June 8. The top-two per heat plus the next-two fastest times will advance to the NCAA Finals on Friday, June 10 beginning at 7:10 p.m. Central Time.
 Lauren Sara is the lone freshman competing in the 10k | |
Bikanova comes into the NCAA Championships as UConn's highest ranked competitor. During the NCAA Regionals, Bikanova successfully leaped 1.78m (5' 10") in the high jump and sits tied for sixth. She will enter the NCAA Championships as one of just three freshmen in the NCAA Finals.
The NCAA Final in the high jump will begin at 5:30 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, June 9.
Lauren Sara broke the UConn record in the 10,000m at the NCAA East Regionals and placed seventh in 33:51.21. Sara enters the NCAA Finals ranked 19th in the field of 24 but is the only freshman remaining in contention for the NCAA 10,000m Title.
The 10k will begin at 8:45 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday, June 8.
Be sure to follow UConnhuskies.com throughout the NCAA Championships for recaps of all the events.
Players Mentioned
