Columbus, Ohio - Despite running the second best hurdle race of her life Friday, Vanderbilt freshman Amanda Mullins-Hall could not qualify for the NCAA Mideast Regional finals to be held Saturday at Ohio State University.

Mullins-Hall, a native of Cincinnati who owns the team’s hurdle record, ran the 100-meter hurdles in 13.61, yet missed the finals by two positions. She finished with the 10th fastest effort among 34 competitors.

Mullins-Hall set the team mark in 13.51 to win the 100-meter hurdles at the Vanderbilt Invitational in April. Mullins-Hall’s performance Friday also was lower than Ryan Tolbert’s team mark entering this season. The old record by Tolbert, a former Commodore All-American and the school’s only national champion, was 13.65 in 1996.

Mullins-Hall is one of three Vanderbilt athletes competing in the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships attempting to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The other two - junior Vensherrie Campbell and sophomore Josie Hahn - will compete Saturday. Campbell is scheduled to throw the hammer and discus, while Hahn will participate in the high jump. Two weeks ago, Hahn secured a spot in the heptatlon at the upcoming NCAA Championships following a second place finish at the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships.

Many experts thought the women’s 100-meter hurdles field at the Mideast Regionals was among the finest assembled at any collegiate race this season. The hurdle trials - especially the preliminary involving Mullins-Hall - more than lived up to the billing.

Illinois sensation Perdita Filicien, the NCAA national champion in 2002, ran the fastest collegiate time this year to beat Mullins-Hall, who finished second in the seven-person heat. Filicien smashed the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium record with a blazing 12.70 effort, easily the fastest time recorded by a NCAA female this season. The event also featured recent SEC champion Lolo Jones of LSU, who posted the second fastest qualifying time of 12.96. Filicien and Jones are considered the two best candidates to win at the national title. Four of the eight runners advancing to the Mideast Regional hurdle finals are from the SEC.