June 8, 2007

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - UT Arlington senior Jon McDowell stumbled on the fourth hurdle and finished the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.01 seconds to finish ninth at the 86th Men's NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championship at Hornet Stadium Friday night.

Tyron Akins of Auburn won the national championship with a time of 13.42.

The race snapped a string of five straight races McDowell had set a personal-best time. He reached the finals with a time of 13.60 seconds in the semifinals Wednesday. Nevertheless, McDowell earns the first All-America award for UT Arlington since Ashely Dorsey earned the honor in the women's shot put in 2002. McDowell becomes the first male to be named All-America in an individual event since Cornelius Cavitt in the 200 meters in 1997.

McDowell ends a career that saw him win the Southland Conference 110-meter hurdle as a junior and senior outdoor season. He was the first Mav hurdle since Paul Whitty in 2003 to advance to the NCAA Championship.

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