Cunliffe Finishes 12th at NCAA Indoor

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Hannah Cunliffe finished sixth in the second semifinal of the 60-meter dash at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a 7.37. That time left her .08 seconds away from advancing to Saturday night's final.

The final qualifying time was a 7.29 as five of the eight who qualified for the final ran in the first semifinal. Her 7.37 tonight matched her time in the final of the Razorback Invitational. That meet was her season debut and was the weekend of Jan. 30-31. It tied for the fourth fastest time the Federal Way, Wash., freshman had posted this season.

It was her second fastest first round this season. She had the third fastest time in school history and ran that time twice this season. This is a start – we want to build from here.
Kevin Tyler, OU assistant coach

She will close her true freshman season as the Big 12 runner-up in the 60, the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Female Co-Freshman of the Year, the first Sooner woman to win the award, and tied for third on the all-time OU career list. As one of the top 16, she will be named a second-team All-American after the championships, becoming the first true freshman female at OU to earn indoor All-America honors in the 60-meter dash.

"She felt good going into the race,” Kevin Tyler, one of OU's assistant coaches who works with the sprinters. “She lost a little at the start, didn't react as well as she has. Then, she tried to recover and got back into it. When you dig deep to get back into a short race, you use a lot of energy. She lost a little bit at the end after that.”

“I'm a little disappointed because know I could have done better,” Cunliffe added. “I got to the NCAA as a freshman and that was a goal. I've had a good season but want to keep improving. Still, it's a great accomplishment to earn All-America honors and earn the Big 12 award.

“It's on to outdoor,” she continued. “I like to use indoor to build for outdoor. I love the 200 outdoor – it's my favorite event.”

“It was her second fastest first round this season … maybe another round before this one would have been good,” Tyler added. “We're disappointed that she didn't advance to the final but she made it here as a freshman. She had the third fastest time in school history and ran that time twice this season. This is a start – we want to build from here.”

The Sooners open the 2015 outdoor season March 20-21 in Tempe, Ariz., at the Baldy Castillo Invitational.