Raymond Graham, Freelance Writer

AFTER heavy thunderstorms on Wednesday's opening day of the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa it was much better weather on yesterday's second day.

Three Jamaicans will be involved in tonight's final following Wednesday night's women's 100 metres semi-finals. Texas A&M's Simone Facey, running in a negative wind of 4.4 metres per second, just got the better of Kansas University's Nickeisha Anderson in semi-final one, winning in 11.61 seconds as Anderson was second in 11.63.

Louisiana State University's (LSU) Samantha Henry also qualified for the final as she finished fourth in semi-final two in 11.51. With a better wind reading here of minus 0.4 metres per second L.S.U Kellyann Baptiste won in 11.28 to be the fastest qualifier going to the final.

Two wins

All three Jamaicans qualified for last night's 200 metres semi-finals. Anderson (23.00) and Facey 23.12 won their heats while Henry (23.24) finished second in her heat to also advance.

Following her exploits on the world stage last year, LSU's Nickeisha Wilson will be hoping for gold in today's 400m hurdles final. After clocking 57.31 in the first round, Wilson stepped up a gear in the semi-final last night to clock 55.8 to be the fastest qualifier for today's final. University of California Los Angeles' (UCLA) Nicola Leach won her semi-final in 55.98 as pre-race favourite Queen Harrison of Virginia Technical failed to show.

Wilson will also be in action in today's semi-final of the 100m hurdles as she clocked 12.95 to win her heat. The University of Oklahoma's Latoya Greaves also advanced as she won her heat in 13.22. Her teammate Latoya Heath failed to advance, however, as she could only manage seventh in her heat in 14.25. Harrison also failed to show for this event.

Semi-final

Among the men, Sheldon Leith out of the University of Oklahoma also advanced in the 110m hurdles as he finished fifth in his heat in 13.74 and will compete in this evening's semi-final.

Late Wednesday night two Jamaicans failed to make progress in their events. Competing in the discus, Phelecia Reynolds of Louisiana Technical threw 47.02m, while University of Maryland Eastern Shore's (UMES) Tanisha Wisdom had to settle for fourth in the 400 metres in 54.70 and failed to advance.