University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooner Senior Eliminated At World University Games :: Hicks finishes third in her heat in prelims, fifth in the quarterfinal

Sooner Senior Eliminated At World University Games :: Hicks finishes third in her heat in prelims, fifth in the quarterfinal Sooner Senior Eliminated At World University Games

Hicks finishes third in her heat in prelims, fifth in the quarterfinal




OU senior Jimyria Hicks is eliminated at the World University Games in Beijing.

Aug. 30, 2001

BEIJING, China - Just one day after watching an opportunity to medal as a member of the 400-meter relay bounce away, University of Oklahoma track and field senior Jimyria Hicks saw her final chance to medal fade when she didn't advance to the semifinals in the 200-meter dash. The top 16 times advanced from the quarterfinals and Hicks finished 17th.

The Arlington, Texas, native finished third in her heat in the prelims with a time of 24.08. Later Thursday, she finished fifth in her heat with a time of 24.15. Both times were more than .70 seconds slower than her fastest time (23.35) in the U.S. Senior National Meet in June and her wind-aided time of 23.13 at the Big 12 Championship in May.

All track and field action is taking place at the National Olympic Sports Center in Beijing. The Games opened on August 22 and will conclude on Sept. 1.

The 200-meter semifinals will be run on Friday with the final scheduled for later in the day.

On Wednesday, Hicks ran the second leg of the U.S. 400-meter relay and took the U.S. team to first place. However, a dropped baton between the third and fourth runners on the relay ended the race for the U.S.

Hicks, a native of Arlington, Texas, earned her spot on the American team after finishing fifth in the 2001 U.S. Senior Nationals in the 200-meter dash in June. She also had a strong finish in the semifinals of the 100-meter dash. Hicks, who finished second in the Big 12 in the 200 last May, had the best finish at the U.S. Senior Nationals in the 200 in June. Her time from the U.S. Senior National and from the Big 12 rank on the current U.S. list.

A multi-talented sprinter, Hicks came into her own this past spring. She finished fourth in the 100 at the Big 12 meet, ran the second leg of OU's fourth-place 400-meter relay, then ran the third leg of OU's 1600-meter relay that finished fifth.

"Obviously, Jjimyria is disappointed because we thought she had the opportunity to advance and medal in the 200," said Shanon Atkinson, OU's sprint coach. "When I talked to her today, we talked about how great an opportunity this has been for her, how this opportunity puts her in a select group and how she can use what she has learned about running in an international event to finish her Sooner career in a strong fashion.

"After the disappointment of Wednesday and the earlier race today, I think she was just tired. She's a winner and we will take what she has learned from all of these experiences and make her a better runner, a better competitior. Participating in any world championship is a once in a lifetime experience and she has had a great experience," Atkinson added.