LA CROSSE, Wisc. - First year sprinter Camille Coklow kept her National All-America hopes alive on Friday night, advancing to Saturday's event finals in the 100-meter dash at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. She will now compete on Saturday at 4pm for the chance at earning National All-America status.
Coklow, a native of Chicago, Ill., posted a time of 12.04 to finish seventh overall. The top nine advanced to the event finals which will determine this year's National Champion. National All-America status is awarded to the top eight finishers.
Coklow is one of 22 to participate in the 100-meter dash. Her qualifying time of 11.93 had her ranked third in the field entering this weekend's meet. She posted her qualifying time during the finals at the ECAC Championships. Coklow finished second overall in the event.
A former standout at the Latin School of Chicago, Coklow has had an impressive rookie season, which has included an appearance at the 2013 NCAA Indoor National Championships. Appearing in seven meets this spring, she has recorded first-place finishes in the 100-meter dash at the American International Invitational, the Aloha Relays and the New England Division III Championships.
Coklow, who also competed in the 200-meter dash through much of the spring, eclipsed the school record in the 100m-dash three times. She finished second overall in the event at the NEWMAC Championships, earning All-Conference Second Team recognition while also setting the school record mark with a time of 12.27. The previous record had been held since 1993 by Cheryl Daley, who was Mount Holyoke's first track & field National All-American.
After posting a time of 12.20 at the Open New England Championships, Coklow headed to ECAC's, where she shattered the record in the preliminaries with a mark of 12.03. She then finished second in the finals with her time of 11.93.
During the indoor season, Coklow recorded multiple school records in the 60-meter dash and was an All-New England honoree after placing second overall in the 55-meter dash. She has also excelled in a number of other events in her rookie season, including the long jump.
Action photo at NCAA Championships courtesy of Frank Poulin Sports Photography.
