Bethune-Cookman freshman Ronnie Ash will move on into the semifinals of the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the Men’s 110m hurdles as he collected the fastest time in his heat.  This year’s meet is being hosted by Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Ash blazed a time of 13.64 seconds?fastest in his heat, in order to move on to the semifinals of the Men’s 110m hurdles competition on Thursday evening.  Ash also posted the fourth-fastest time overall in the preliminary round.

“He did enough to move on today,” expressed B-CU head coach Garfield Ellenwood shortly after the race.  “He didn’t quite go 100 percent, but he moved on and that’s what matters right now.  He’ll be ready to go all the way tomorrow.”

Ash is the only Wildcats in the last 10 years to move on to the semifinals of any event in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.  The Wildcats Women’s 4x100 meter relay team finished 13th overall yesterday and did not qualify after finishing fourth in the respective heat.

Ash will now prepare for tomorrow night’s race which will be part of the live NCAA event being broadcast on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. [EST].  Ash will be running at approximately 8:35 pm.

“This is going to be great exposure for the sport of track & field at B-CU, as well as Bethune-Cookman University as a whole.  I know we get a log of national attention for football, baseball, etc., but this is going to be great for our community and campus family to see track & field and the things we are doing to move it forward in the national scene as well.  I want everyone to watch as Ronnie does his best to try and win an NCAA medal for the school.”