Joe Greene Reaches 400-Hurdles Semifinals at NCAA Track & Field Championships

Sacramento, Calif. – University at Albany’s Joe Greene advanced to the men’s 400-meter intermediate hurdles semifinals for the second straight year at the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships on Thursday, June 7 at California State University, Sacramento’s A.G. Spanos Sports Complex. Greene won his heat in 50.64 seconds, the fourth-fastest time of the day. The top two in each of the five heats automatically advanced the next round.

Texas Tech’s Bryan Scott, who was eighth in this event last year, won his heat in 50.31 seconds. Auburn’s Rueben McCoy had one of the top times in the preliminary round when he hit the tape in the second heat in 50.90. McCoy placed fourth in the 400-hurdles final one year ago. Sixteen competitors will run in Friday’s semifinals at 8:55 p.m. ET. The top three finishers in each race, along with the next best two times, advance to the championship.

"I am satisfied with my result,” said Greene, who represented the United States at the World Junior Championships in China last August. “This is my second time here, so I knew what to expect and the atmosphere. The wind was kind of heavy in the backstretch, but I kept my arms tight and hit the hurdles smooth and even. I am staying focused I what I have to do, so I didn’t even see the other heats."

Greene, a two-time IC4A champion and the 2007 America East Conference Championship’s most outstanding performer, finished third at NCAA East Regionals to qualify for the national meet. He sprinted a school-record 50.18 to register the best finish by a UAlbany athlete in regional competition.

Marc Pallozzi, the UAlbany record holder in the men’s javelin, will compete in the finals on Friday at 10:15 p.m. ET. He placed 10th in last year’s NCAA championship.