Sri Lankan Christine wins 400m. hurdles in US

Christine Merrill, an engineering student at the University of san Diego, California, has won the national championship in the women's 400 metres hurdles at the Division two National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships held at the Le Grand Sports Complex in San Angela, Texas in May 2009.

She entered the national meet as the top seed in the 400 metre hurdles, and lived up to the billing, finishing best in the field with a time of 58.59. Her mark surpassed her previous personal best and University record time of 58.59. Her mark surpassed her previous personal best and university record time of 58.86 set earlier this season.

Christine has dual Sri Lankan citizenship and is the daughter of Dr. Neloufa Merill (nee Perera), an old girl of Ladies College, Colombo, where she was an outstanding athlete holding the long-jump and 4x100 metre school records.