Norwood qualifies for 400-meter final

LSU standout Vernon Norwood qualified for the finals of the men’s 400-meter dash after finishing runner-up in his semifinal heat at the 2014 NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships Wednesday at Oregon’s Hayward Field.
Norwood, a Morgan City High alum, finished second in his heat behind Brycen Spratling of Pittsburgh with a time of 45.52. Spratling ran a 45.41.
Norwood’s time was the fourth fastest of the afternoon among the field of 24 semifinalists.
After Wednesday’s competition, the field was whittled to eight competitors.
Texas A&M’s Deon Lendore, last year’s national outdoor runner up, finished the day with the top time in the semifinals at 45.18.
The men’s 400-meter dash finals will be held Friday at 7:50 p.m.
Today, Norwood and his teammates will begin competition in the men’s 4x400-meter relay semifinals.
The Tigers are seeded second behind Texas A&M with a time of 3:02.64. Texas A&M enters the semifinals with a time of 3:01.42.
ESPN3.com will feature live streaming video of Thursday’s events from 5:55-10 p.m. at http://es.pn/S8EHfu.