June 8, 2005

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Samford sophomore Lauren Blankenship will compete in the 5,000-meter run tonight at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif.

Blankenship became the first Samford track and field athlete to qualify for the NCAA Championships by finishing second in the 5,000-meters May 28. In the race, Blankenship set a Samford record in the event with a time of 16:16.43.

Blankenship's event is scheduled to begin at 11:40 p.m. Central Time. Live results will be posted on the web at www.ncaasports.com, and a full story will be posted at www.samfordsports.com. The top six runners in each heat, along with the next four best times, will advance to Saturday's NCAA Finals, which is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. Central Time.