HENDERSON NAMED TO ALL-AMERICAN HONORS AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
With a throw of 15.93m (52-3) that was good for 16th. place in the NCAA Shot Put Championships, Emmonnie Henderson earned second place All-American honors Thursday night.
Her throw in the event was about four feet (or 2 meters) short of the personal best she tossed to win the ACC Championships. That 17.09m (56-1) effort would have got her seventh place yesterday...the top toss was 18.35m (60-2) by freshman Raven Saunders from Southern Illinois. ACC competitor Sarah Howard (UNC) finished 14th. with a 16.20m (53-1) throw. Henderson defeated Howard in the ACC Championships earlier this year.
20.59 is the best recorded toss on record...achieved by Nadzeya Ostapchuk in 2011.
For Chanel Krause, a bit of disappointment in failing to clear the bar in any of her pole vaulting attempts.
Henderson will take to the track again Saturday to compete in the finals of the discus toss. She's ranked 24th. of the 24 competitors...so winning this would truly be remarkable.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
As you might expect, the ESPN and ESPNU coverage of the women's championships Thursday revolved around the running events and field events simply got shoved aside.
Our neighbors to the east (UK) had several runners qualify out of their heats to make the finals. UK had made significant strides in track and field. One has to hope the Cards can catch up here in the future. The dominance of LSU, Texas A&M, Clemson and Oregon over the years can be equated and compared to the upper echelon of UConn, Notre Dame, Stanford, Louisville and Maryland in women's college basketball.
It's a nice achievement two have two Cardinal athletes qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships...but one would hope that Dale Cowper, Louisville track and field head coach, can recruit a few "Shoni's, Asia's and Angel's" for the 'run, jump and throw' Cards in the future.
The women's program has had decent throwers over the years. It's time to catch up in the sprints, hurdles and relay events.
paulie
xxxxx
( In the Thursday Edition of CARDINAL COUPLE, we'll look at the upcoming NCAA Championship Field events, the latest buzz on Lexie and a reversal of ruling. Jump in, buckle up, hold on and strap in Bill The Goat...we're coupling you this Thursday!)
THROWING IT OUT THERE AND FROM THE VAULT
Tonight in Eugene, Oregon Emmonnie Henderson and Chanel Krause will compete in the NCAA Championships for Track and Field.
Chanel Krause is first up, going in the pole vault finals that start around 7:45 ET. "E" will put the shot around 8:40 p.m. The discus finals...which Henderson will also participate in...aren't until Saturday afternoon.
Coverage on Thursday is on ESPNU (7-8:30 p.m.) and ESPN (8:30 - 11:30 p.m.)
Although both Krause and "E" would have to be considered longshots to win the respective events...based on their season bests and the season bests of their competition...throw that out (get it?) the window. It's the Finals. All 24 competitors have a 'shot'.
OK, done with the puns.
Best of luck to UofL's scintillating sophomores!
IS LEXIE FLYING SOUTH?
The Twitter, Instagram and widespread rumor world is picking up momentum on Lexie Brown and her visit to Louisville. The talented point guard the last two seasons for Maryland has parted ways with the Terps and searching for another home to spend her final three years of college at.
You remember Lexie, right? As a freshman, she torched Louisville for 20 points and six assists in the Terps win over the Cards in the NCAA Regional final in the KFC YUM! Center in 2014.
Seeing her in a back court with Durr, Cole, Carter, Jones in the 2016-17 season probably has Coach Walz dancing like Gene Kelly in Singing In The Rain.
She would have to sit a year...that's true...but what a great mentor and knowledge source she could be to the freshmen that will be in the back court for Walz in 2015-16.
Her Dad is Dee Brown...who knows a thing or two about hoops also. Oh, those magical Celtics teams with Dee dancin in the back court and getting air.
Highly unofficial rumors from questionable sources indicate that she loved the visit. How could she not? After all, it is Louisville...
WE STAND CORRECTED
On Tuesday, we threw three questions at you about "lines". We advised you on Wednesday that the answer to Question 1 was 'count the free throw' (question below). In a chat last evening with a very knowledgeable source, we found out that that is wrong. A player at the line shooting cannot cross that free throw line until the ball makes contact with the net, backboard or rim. If the player that is shooting steps over the line...it is a lane violation and no point awarded if the ball goes in.
Although this would be detrimental to the Walzian theorem that suggests "3" is better than "2"...the theorem may have to undergo a radical adjustment now that the "one plus one" is leaving the game.
Thanks to regular reader Vivian who raised the objection. We eventually get things right here at CC....even if it takes several attempts.
paulie
xxxxx
1) Basketball's Mariya Moore is at the free throw line for free throws. She shoots and hits the first one. Her left foot goes over the line as the ball is in the air. It touches down over that line before the ball goes through the hoop. Count the point or not?
"E" ranked 13th in shot put, 24th in discus
When the 2015 NCAA Track and Field Championships take place in Eugene, OR from June 10-1, Louisville will have two participants from the women's track and field squad.
Emmonnie Henderson will take part in two events...the shot put and discus. The events are structured where the top 24 in the college world participate. "E" is ranked 13th. in the shot put and barely squeezed in the discus finals...ranked 24th. out of 24.
Chanel Krause will be there also...ranked 13th in the pole vault. Her season high in the pole vault is a respectable 4.15meters (13.725 ft.). To put that in perspective, imagine her pole vaulting over the top of the backboard at the KFC YUM! Center. (and look out below...Cardinal cheerleaders!)
"E" we know plenty about...here the scoop on Chanel.
You might think she's from France with that name...but she's actually from Mobile, AL. and attended St. Paul Episcopal School. She's a sophomore like Henderson and has four brothers and a sister.
She finished 6th. in the ACC outdoor Championships and 3rd. in the indoor Championships. In the 2015 season, she won three events...all outdoor. The Georgia Tech Invitational, Louisville Twilight and Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invitational were her "W's".
WE wish her and "E" great successes in Oregon!
paulie
xxxxx
