June 10, 2009

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark - The Tigers had a strong start during the first event of the NCAA National Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. as Senior Chris Rohr automatically advanced to the finals of the Hammer Throw with an opening toss of 68.64m (225 feet 2 inches). Any competitor with a throw over 68.00m automatically moves on to the final round with Rohr being the only athlete in his flight of 13 to post a throw beyond this mark.

With the exception of the Decathlon and Heptathlon, the first two days of the NCAA Championships consist of preliminary rounds. In the Men's Hammer Throw, the field of 25 athletes is pared down to a 12 competitors, with the finals taking place on Friday, June 11 at 11:00 am. The 12 athletes with the farthest marks will advance to the finals, as will any competitors with a throw beyond 68.00m.

The other Tigers in action today are... Lars Rise - Men's Decathlon (Starting at 11:30 am) Krishna Lee - Women's Hammer Throw (1:00 pm) Brian Hancock - Men's Pole Vault (4:30 pm) Shannon Leinert - Women's 800m (5:30 pm)

Live video is available at http:// all.access.cbssports.com with television coverage of Friday's events provided by CBS College Sports from 6 pm to 9 pm, Central Time with full online results at http://www.flashresults.com.