Three Wildcats Qualify for Outdoor Championships

Courtesy of NMU Athletics

MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan University outdoor track and field team had three student-athletes selected for the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championship Track and Field Championship on the campus of Colorado State University at Pueblo. The three day meet will be held in Pueblo, Colo. at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl on May 24-26.

Senior Bailey Franklin (high jump), sophomore Jamie Roberts (pole vault) and redshirt freshman Sherice Hewett (triple jump) qualified in field events. All three were All-Americans in their respective events at the NCAA Indoor Championship.

“Bailey, Jamie and Sherice are well prepared and peaking at the right time,” NMU track and field coach Tom Barnes said. “They’re going to do their best against some tough competition. Hopefully we can do as well as we did at the indoor championship.”

Franklin will compete in her final meet as a Wildcat at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday (May 26). She broke the school record in the high jump earlier this season at 5 feet, 8.75 inches and is tied for eighth in the nation.

“We’re going to miss Bailey after this season,” Barnes added. “She always steps up in the big meets and has helped our program grow tremendously. Bailey has been easy to coach. She’s a good student and teammate and has a very bright future.”

Hewett is the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion in the triple jump with a school and GLIAC record jump of 41 feet, 0.25 inches. Heading into the NCAA Championship, she is ranked seventh. The triple jump is at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, May 25.

Roberts was an All-American at the 2011 outdoor championship with a school record jump of 12 feet, 8.25 inches, finishing third. She is ranked sixth heading into the championship with a mark of 12 feet, 8 inches. The pole vault is at 7:10 p.m. on Friday (May 25).