Lopes Qualifies for World Championships

Winnipeg, MANITOBA?Priscilla Lopes became the second member of the Nebraska women’s track and field team to qualify for next month’s World Championships Saturday after finishing second in the 100-meter hurdles at the Canadian Track and Field Championships. She joins Husker teammate Becky Breisch, who will compete for the United States national team in the discus competition.

Lopes recorded a time of 13.01 while running into a strong headwind to earn runner-up honors behind defending champion Perdita Felicien, who finished in 12.82. The performance was Lopes’ highest placing at Canada’s national meet. She qualified for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, after earning third place in the event last summer. Lopes reached Saturday’s final after posting a 13.41 in Friday's qualifying round, the third-fastest time among the field.

The Whitby, Ontario, native is entering her junior season at NU, where she has claimed a total of six NCAA All-America awards, including the 2004 NCAA indoor 60-meter hurdles championship. Lopes added her first three Big 12 Conference titles as a sophomore this past season.