SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Deprived of a chance to repeat as NCAA 100-meter champion, Tyson Gay turned his attention to the last individual event of his college career -- the 200.
The result was sensational.
Gay was timed in 19.93 seconds in the semifinal round Thursday night, the fastest time in the world this year and third-fastest in the history of the NCAA track and field championships.
"I feel like I'm in the `19' club now," Gay said. "I'm pretty satisfied."
The senior's performance gave Arkansas the world's two fastest times in the event in 2005.
Gay's teammate Wallace Spearmon ran 19.97 in April. Both will be in Saturday's finals, part of a powerful field that includes freshmen sensations Xavier Carter of LSU and Walter Dix of Florida State.
"I didn't expect to run that fast, but when I did, that's the first thing I thought about. I've got the school record back," Gay said.
Carter, who beat Gay and Spearmon at the Southeastern Conference championships and Mideast Regional, was second-fastest in the semis at 20.14 and Dix third at 20.18. Spearmon, who broke the American indoor 200 record in the NCAA championships in March, has been bothered by a sore right knee and was the fourth-fastest qualifier at 20.31.
Gay, a senior, isn't competing in the 100 in the NCAA meet because he was disqualified by a false start in the Mideast Regional.
"I was motivated a lot," he said. "I was motivated for the four-by-one (400 relay) yesterday and that motivation carried over to the 200."
Arkansas, two-time defending men's team champion, has three runners in Saturday night's 200 finals.
