DES MOINES, Iowa -- Ramon Sosa, the Syracuse senior who went to Brentwood High School on Long Island, advanced to the semifinals of the high hurdles Thursday on the second day of the NCAA Division I championships on the campus of Drake University.

On a day when the torrential rains finally subsided – after another overnight storm featuring high winds and lightning – Sosa equaled his lifetime best of 13.79 and finished 4^th in Heat II of the preliminary round. He advanced on time to the semis, to be held on Friday.

His time is just .07 from the Olympic ‘B’ standard. Sosa represents the Dominican Republic.

In shot put qualifying, Rashaud Scott (Truman, Bronx) made the final for Kentucky, going 60-6. Scott qualified Wednesday for the discus final. John Hickey (Tappan Zee), competing for Iowa, failed to advance, with a best of 57-10 ½.