July 11, 2004

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Virginia Tech volunteer throws coach Denise O'Connell finished in third place of the women's javelin finals at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials held at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif. on Sunday. Melinda Sallins, volunteer coach and an administrative assistant for the Tech track and field program, took 10^th place in the semifinal round of the women's 400 meter hurdles on Saturday.

Both O'Connell and Sallins competed in their first Olympic Trials and were vying to finish in the top three and meet the Olympic ìAî qualifying standard in their respective events to be named on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team roster.

O'Connell (Kunkletown, Pa.) threw 177'4" for a third place finish in the javelin finals of the trials. O'Connell, a Hokie alumni, threw well below her personal record of 185'4". Kim Kreiner of NIKE took first place with a throw of 182'7" while Sarah Malone (Oregon) came in second with 177'11".

Kreiner is the only women's javelin athlete to have achieved the Olympic "A" qualifying standard and is able to represent the U.S. in Athens. Malone, O'Connell and fourth-place Erica Wheeler have until August 9^th to throw the "A" standard in order to qualify for the 2004 Olympics.

OíConnell finished in eighth place with a throw of 169'10" in the javelin qualifying round of the trials on Friday. Kreiner threw 177'3" to claim first place. The top 12 athletes in the qualifying round advanced to the finals.

In the semifinals of the 400 meter hurdles, Sallins (Miami, Fla.) finished in 10^th place with a time of 56.55. Lashinda Demus of South Carolina clinched first place with a time of 53.70 while Sandra Glover of NIKE came in second with 53.78. Sallins narrowly missed competing in the finals as only the top eight of the semifinals advanced.

Sallins clocked 56.46 for a 10^th place finish in Friday's quarterfinals of the 400m hurdles. Glover won the race with a time of 54.52. The top 16 athletes in the quarterfinals advanced to the semifinal round.

Dave Cianelli, Virginia Tech's Director of Track and Field, stated, "These two ladies were both disappointed but should be proud that their performances were strong."

One more Hokie will have a chance to compete at the trials this week. Mary Jayne Harrelson is slated to run in the women's 1,500 meters on Friday. The trials continue through July 18, with July 13-14 serving as rest days.

For complete coverage, including television schedule and results, visit the USATF website at www.usatf.org.