Sharika Nelvis Ends Banner Year for Red Wolves at National Event

DES MOINES, Iowa – Arkansas State University All-American Sharika Nelvis capped off a banner outdoor season at the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships last Friday (June 21) in the women’s 100-meter hurdles preliminaries with a 26th-place showing.

The 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held June 20-23 at Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University.

Nelvis, a 2013 All-America First-Team selection by the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), started out the prelim race strong before encountering some hurdle problems to finish in a 13.79 time to claim 26th-place honors.  Former Clemson standout Brianna Rollins of Nike, the 2013 NCAA outdoor 100-meter hurdles national champion, claimed first place with a 12.33 time as the top 16 finishers qualified for Saturday’s (June 22) final.  Saucony’s Queen Harrison took runner-up honors by clocking a 12.44 and was followed by Asics’ Lolo Jones, who produced a third-place 12.50 time.

“She had a great start, but hit hurdles two and four pretty hard,” said A-State head coach Jim Patchell.  “Then over the last three, the girl in the lane next to her hit Sharika’s hurdles. It was like a hurdle demolition derby. Not good for fast times, but if you run enough hurdle races it’s going to happen. Although not an ideal race, I’m extremely proud of what she has accomplished this year.”

Sharika Nelvis, the 2013 Sun Belt Conference (SBC) Outdoor Championships’ Most Outstanding Women’s Track Performer and a first-team All-SBC selection, was among eight collegiate-affiliated athletes to participate in the running event.  She joined Notre Dame’s Jade Barber, Evonne Britton of Penn State, Briana Stewart of Academy of Art University, Texas A&M’s Donique Flemings, Katie Grimes of Texas Tech, Charleston Southern’s Mulern Jean, and Kayla Parker of Kentucky.

Courtesy Arkansas State University Athletics Department