Harris Earns All-America at NCAA Championships

Friday, June 12

Fayetteville, Ark.

Michigan

NCAA Outdoor Championships (Day 3)

6/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

Site: Fayetteville, Ark. (John McDonnell Field)
Event: NCAA Outdoor Championships (Day 3)
U-M Team Standing: Tie-48th Place (2 points) After Day 3
Next U-M Event: Season Completed

Results | Quotes | Photo Gallery

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Senior Adam Harris(Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) finished seventh in the 100-meter dash finals to earn All-America honors for the University of Michigan men's track and field team on day three of the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships Friday evening (June 12) at John McDonnell Field. The All-America distinction is the first in the 100 meters in 49 years for the Wolverines, who wrapped up their competition at the four-day event.

Harris entered the finals as the eighth seed and was placed in the outside lane. The senior got out to a good start and found himself in a battle with five runners just behind the leaders after 70 meters and crossed the line in 10.29 to claim seventh place overall, the top U-M finish in the event since Tom Robinson (1959-61) finished fifth in 1960. Harris was the lone scorer for the Wolverines at the 2009 NCAA Championships, picking up two team points for the Maize and Blue.

Harris concludes his Michigan career as one of the top sprinters in U-M history. The Wheaton, Ill., native holds the indoor school records in both the 60- and 200-meter dash, the outdoor school record in the 100-meter dash, and is third in the outdoor 200-meter dash all time. Along with his 2009 outdoor All-America honor, he is a two-time indoor All-American and a seven-time Big Ten champion.

U-M finishes day three of the NCAA Championships in a tie for 48th place with Harris' two points.

Team Standings (After Day 3)

 1. Oregon 36 2. LSU 30 3. Southern California 22 4. Florida 21 5. Georgia 19 6. South Carolina 18.50 7. Arizona State 18 Arkansas 18 9. Brigham Young 16 Kansas State 16 48. MICHIGAN 2 Alabama 2 Air Force 2

Event Winners/U-M Finishers (Day 3)

 100-meter Dash (Finals) 1. Trindon Holliday, LSU 10.00 7. Adam Harris, U-M 10.29

Previous Results: Day 1 | Day 2

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Fred LaPlante
On the team's performance... "Everyone came and competed well. The level is tough here. Carl in his first nationals didn't perform as well as he wanted to. Dan making the semis was good, and he was in the race through seven hurdles. Lex was in it with everyone with 400 meters to go. All our guys were competitive, but the level is tough. You are pleased to be here and give it your best effort and when the smoke clears you got what you got."

On Adam Harris' 100-meter final... "If you ran that race four or five times he could finish a little better and he could finish a little worse. The 100 meters is a fine line and everything needs to click, which it almost did. He got off to a good start and I have no complaints."

On Adam Harris' career... "He had a great career and he capped it off by making the finals in the 100 meters. Not a lot of Midwest guys are able to do that. He was positive and he went with the flow of the program and showed confidence in what we were doing as coaches. In his four years on the team, he made it a real nice atmosphere for the sprint and hurdle group."