GREENSBORO, N.C. - Bethune-Cookman sprinter Tristie Johnson ended her rookie NCAA season on Saturday at Irwin Belk track in the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field East Region Semi-Final of the 200m, missing on a qualification to go to Nationals in the event.

A freshman from Jacksonville, Fla., Johnson worked her way into the 12th position with a Friday advance in the event. In  Saturday's Semi-Final, she ran a time of 23.75 to finish 16th, with the top 12 advancing to the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore.

“We had a great chance to get her to the next round but things just did not go our way,” Head Coach Donald Cooper said. “It was a great learning experience for her as a freshman.”

Johnson also competed in the 100m at the Regional, but did not advance to the Semi-Final, missing the advance by just one position. Despite her year in school, Johnson proved to have immediate impact on the Wildcats' roster and was a steady leader in both the 2012-13 indoor and outdoor seasons.

“She is the future of the women's program,” Cooper said. “We are building around her and look for her to be the leader of the team next season.”

With the 16th-place finish, Johnson's rookie NCAA season is over, and naturally with that there is some disappointment, but Johnson has created additional opportunities to prove herself in the next month. Johnson is in line to earn a qualification for the USA Track & Field Junior/Senior Nationals, beginning June 19 in Des Moines, Iowa.

“She is a fierce competitor and was extremely hard on herself,” Cooper said. “We talked it out and she knows how proud the Wildcats and I are of her.  We are looking to remain in the top 32 in the US and get an opportunity at running the 200m at US Nationals.”

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-B-CUathletics.com-