Gary Blackman Receives NCAA Bid

June 4, 2003

Butler junior Gary Blackman has received an at-large bid to compete in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship at California State University at Sacramento, June 11-17. He'll join teammate Becky Lyne, who earned a national meet berth in the 800 meter run.

Blackman was one of six athletes awarded an at-large bid, and he'll be one of 26 athletes competing for the steeplechase title. The reigning Horizon League steeplechase champ had the fastest seed time of the at-large qualifiers with his 8:46.05 effort at the Mt. Sac Relays. Blackman was named "Newcomer of the Year (Running Events)" at the Horizon League Championship.

Lyne, who was an automatic qualifier for the national meet, owns the fastest women's 800 meter time in the NCAA Division I this spring. She posted a school-record time of 2:02.66 in the preliminary heat of the 800 meter run at the NCAA Mideast Regional and then finished first in the finals of the race in a time of 2:02.89.