June 8, 2007

Friday's Illinois Results

Complete 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championship Resutls

Sacramento, Calif. - Sophomore Lesiba Masheto kept the Fighting Illini men's track & field season going Friday night by finishing third in his heat to earn a spot in Saturday's 400m final at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Sacramento State at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex.

Masheto ran a time of 46.06 in the second of two semifinal heats and had the seventh fastest time overall. USC's Lionel Larry had the top time in the semifinals with a 45.29 out of heat one, while Florida State's Ricardo Chambers took heat two with a 45.46. Masheto's top time of 45.41 earlier this season had him seeded fourth heading into the championships, but he hopes to run faster in Saturday's final to improve on his fifth place finish in the event at the indoor national championships.

"All in all I think Shoes (Masheto) did very well today," said Illinois head coach Wayne Angel. "He executed very well for the 250 meters and then cramped up a bit and backed off, but he's been with the trainer and has been hydrating and we feel very good about his chances tomorrow. He just needs to go out and execute in the final and I think he'll run very fast, maybe faster than he's run this year."

"I'm happy about making finals." said Masheto. "I think I can run faster tomorrow, I just have to run my race. I felt good today, but I didn't feel that tired. I feel like I have something left for the final."

CBS will televise the action on Saturday, the final day of competition, with live coverage starting at noon CDT. The men's 400m is scheduled to start at 12:37 p.m. CDT.

2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships Day 3 Illinois Results // Friday, June 8, 2007

400m Semifinal
7. Lesiba Masheto 46.06 Q
Third in heat - Qualified for Saturday's Final

Remaining Illini Schedule (All Times Central)

Saturday, June 9
12:37 p.m. Men's 400m Final (Masheto)

* Finals are televised live on CBS. Coverage starts at Noon CT