March 23, 2008

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Florida A&M's Edwisht Olmann qualified for the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Regionals in the triple jump here Saturday at the Walt Disney World Outdoor Invitational at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

Olmann, a 5-11, 170-pound senior from South Dade High in Homestead, Florida, had a leap of 15.09 meters (49 feet, 6.25 inches) in the triple jump final, surpassing the automatic qualifying mark of 15.00 meters.

The Rattler jump ace finished third overall in the triple jump, while recording a sixth place showing in the long jump (7.13 meters). Teammate Matthew Bolden (6.19 meters) finished 10th in the long jump.

Overall, Coach Rey Robinson's crew recorded 19 Top Ten finishes at the Disney event, with the Distance Medley team finishing first (10:21.74), while Carlos Franklin and Bryan Turner recorded the highest individual finishes as each finished second in separate events:

•Franklin ran second in the 1,500 meter run (4:02.41), while Turner was second in the high jump (2.05 meters). Brandon Hartley (1.85 meters) was sixth in the high jump.

•Frank Scott (13.29 meters) finished third in the shot put; Mike White was 10th in the javelin (30.34), with Matthew Bolden finishing 12th in both the shot put (25.32 meters) and the javelin (25.32).

•Scott and Bolden also competed in the discus throw, with Scott finishing fifth (39.57 meters) and Bolden (21.02 meters), 21st overall.

•In the 110 meter hurdles, Carl McKenzie (14.52) ran fourth, with Brandon Hartley (15.15) getting seventh in the final.

•Results from other running events featured Brandon Hartley running fifth (54.02) in the 400 hurdles; the 4x400 relay team getting fifth (3:18.87); Daquam Lee (1:54.94) running fifth and Omari Crawford (1:57.56) finishing 12th in the 800 meters; Carl Burress placed ninth in the 3000 meters (10:44.96); Carlos Franklin was 10th in the 5000 meters (15:42.96), with Carl McKenzie (22.57) getting 15th in the 200 meters.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Rattler thinclads will vie for honors in the FSU Relays Friday and Saturday at cross town Florida State University's Mike Long Track.