Princeton University Athletics
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NCAA Track Championships Begin; Cabral Advances to Steeplechase Final
June 09, 2011 | Men's Track and Field
DES MOINES, IOWA (6/8/11) - The 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships got underway today at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
The 2010 steeplechase national runner-up Donn Cabral will have a shot at being the first across the finish line after he qualified for the finals tonight. Cabral finished second in heat 2 of the semifinals. He ran much of the race in fifth place and it wasn't until there was four laps left that the pack started to spread out and Cabral moved into third. Cabral made his move into second place when Brett Hales of Weber State seemed to be confused on laps and slowed up at the finish line one lap early when the final lap bell signaled. Regardless, Cabral made his move into second place and finished at 8:44.56.
Cabral will be one of 14 that will run in the final on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Amongst those 14 is the defending national champion Matt Hughes of Louisville, third place finisher Hillary Bor of Iowa State and Craig Forys of Michigan who won today's heat 2.
Cabral holds the Princeton record in the steeplechase at 8:35.60, run at the 2010 NCAA East Regional.
Sophomore Russell Dinkins became the fourth Tiger in Princeton history to run the 800 in the NCAA Championships, joining Ryan Smith (2002), Omar Simmons (1992) and Ed Burrowes (1940). Dinkins ran in heat 3, along with the national runner up from last year, Robby Andrews of Virginia. Despite running a PR of 1:48.29, Dinkins finished sixth in his heat and 19th overall. The last time Dinkins ran a sub 1:49 was at the indoor Heps when he set a meet record en route to being crowned the Ivy League 800 champion. Dinkins post season is not over yet. He takes the third leg of the 4x400 relay that will compete in the national semifinals on Thursday at 8:20 p.m., local time.
Junior David Slovenski came up big in his third and final attempt in the third round of the pole vault. After coming up short in his first two attempts, Slovenski cleared 5.25 (17-2.75) to advance him into the next round with just 13 of the 24 finalists. Slovenski would miss on his three attempts to meet the mark of 5.35 (17-6.5), but he was not alone, as only three of those 13 vaulters advanced out of the third round.
Slovenski easily cleared 5.00 in the first round on his first attempt and 5.15 in the second round on his first attempt. He is the third Tiger to compete in the pole vault at the NCAAs, along with Andrew Park (2007) and Kevin McGuire (1993).
In addition to the 4x400, competing tomorrow is senior Craig Pearce in the hammer throw at 3 p.m.