GENEVA, Ohio - Just .005 hundredths of a second stood between Webster University sopomore sprinter Jacob Ridenhour (Jerseyville, Ill./Jerseyville) from earning a spot in the finals of the 100-meter dash here Friday afternoon at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at the SPIRE Institute.

Ridenhour, who qualified for Saturday's national finals in the 200-meter dash on Thursday afternoon, fell just of advancing in the 100 meters as his time of 10.59 (10.583) placed him 11th in the preliminary round of qualifying. Ridenhour was the fourth of eight finishers from the first heat of qualifying. 

In Friday's preliminary round, Ridenhour ran in a very competitive heat as three of the nine qualifiers for Saturday's national final were in the first heat and five of the Top 12 finishers overall ran in the first qualifying heat. The top finisher in each of the three preliminary heats advanced to the finals, along with the next six fastest times. Ridenhour's time was the eighth fastest among the non-heat winners. The ninth place finisher and final qualifier, Adrian's Randolph Fry, ran a time of 10.58 (10.579) to just edge out both Ridenhour and 10th place finisher, Dereck Davis of Stevenson, who ran a time off 10.59 (10.582). 

Wesley's Kai Cole, who ran in the third heat, was the overall winner in Friday's preliminaries as he recorded a time of 10.46 (10.452), while Ryan Miller of Saint John's (Minn.) was the second fastest qualifier as he won Ridenhour's heat in a time of 10.46 (10.456) and Bridgewater's Davonta Womack won the second heat in a time of 10.50, which was fourth fastest time overall. 

Other qualifiers for the national finals in the 100-meter dash include John Carroll's Deven Ward, who ran a time of 10.48 to finish fourth, while Principia's Corey Carter was fifth with a time of 10.53 and Wisconsin-LaCrosse's Josh Koenecke was sixth with a time of 10.54. The final two qualifiers were Jordan Leverette of Baldwin Wallace (10.56) and Oneonta's Tyler O'Bryant, who ran a time of 10.58 (10.571). Koenecke and O'Bryant ran in Ridenhour's heat. 

Ridenhour, who ran a school record time of 10.54 to lock up a spot in the D-III National Championships in the 100-meter dash at the Gregory Last Chance Qualifier on May 16, will compete in the national finals of the 200-meter dash on Saturday at 2:50 p.m. ET/1:50 p.m. CT. Ridenhour ran the fifth fastest qualifying time in the 200-meter dash on Thursday. The top eight finishers in the 200 meter final will earn All-American accolades.