June 9, 2005

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Christine Spence moved a step closer to achieving All-America honors for the third time as the UNLV track and field senior advanced to the finals in the high jump and the 400 meter hurdles Thursday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships being held at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex.

Spence cleared 5'-10.75" in the high jump in her first event of the day and she was one of 15 athletes who cleared that height to advance to the finals. That height was the best mark anyone cleared during qualifying. Finals for the high jump will be Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. (PT)

Spence followed that with a time of 58.07 in the opening round of the 400 meter hurdles to advance to the semifinals of that event, which is Friday at 9:00 p.m.

Spence is a two-time All-American for the Rebels, having earned her first such honor at last year's NCAA Outdoor Championships, finishing seventh in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 57.20. This past indoor season she earned All-America honors for a second time after she finished eighth in the pentathlon with 4,036 points at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

The top-eight finishers in each event at this year's outdoor championships earn All-America honors.

Halima Decree will run in the 100 meter finals Friday evening at 8:30 p.m. as the senior sprints toward her first All-America honor. She enters tomorrow's final as the ninth-seed in the nine-person race. Marshevet Hooker of Texas ran a 11.33 on Wednesday during qualifying to clock the fastest time heading into Friday's final.