After weekend regionals, two Terps make National NCAA meet next week

It started with seven, but in the end, only one Terrapin Track and Field athlete came away with an automatic bid to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Michelle Fedrick, a senior sprinter, placed fifth in her final heat at the NCAA Regionals in Greensboro, N.C., last Saturday to qualify for the national competition. She earned a berth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 53.36 seconds, her second- fastest of the season.

"I was confident going into the race," Fedrick said. "And I felt that there could be no one stronger than me. I worked just as hard as anyone else."

Joining Fedrick at the regional meet were teammates Kiani Profit, Chanel Williams, Kristin Reed, Ashley Williams, Dwight Barbiasz and Legonn Haskins.

Although Fedrick was the only Terp to earn an automatic berth to nationals, Profit earned an invitation, according to the NCAA, and Barbiasz was on the cusp, said coach Andrew Valmon.

There are four regions, and each one sends the top-five finishers to nationals. After that, the Division I Track and Field Committee can select athletes based on their season of work.

Barbiasz had an outstanding freshman campaign but fell short at regionals with a jump of 6-10.25 inches to place 14th. Profit won her heat in the 400-meter hurdles, but finished just outside the top eight with a time of 59.54.

Valmon said the committee typically selects about seven athletes in descending order of how far they finished outside of the automatic bids.

Fedrick realizes qualifying for nationals is a major accomplishment and is ready to represent the Terps to the fullest in Fayetteville, Ark., June 10 to 13.

"Last year, I didn't make it out of the East Region," Fedrick said. "But this year, I actually was ranked top five in my region. … This has to be my biggest [accomplishment] because I've never gotten this far in track and field."

Fedrick is focused solely on nationals at the moment and noted how crucial the next week will be for her preparation.

"I'm going to focus on the sprinting phase more," Fedrick said. "I want to be more explosive and fast on the track."

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