May 28, 2005

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Samford's Lauren Blankenship automatically qualified for the 2005 NCAA Championships on Saturday (May 29), after taking second-place overall in the women's 5000m run at the NCAA Mideast Regionals, hosted by Indiana University at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex. Blankenship finished the race with a Samford all-time record time of 16:16.43.

Also competing for Samford at the regionals, Michael Smith finished 13th overall in the men's 400m hurdles with a time of 52.59, while Jessica Brewer finished 11th overall in the women's 3000m steeplechase (11:02.50).

Blankenship will advance to the 2005 NCAA Championships, hosted by Sacramento State and the Sacramento Sports Commission, July 8-11. The competition will take place at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif. Meet times are TBA.