The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Houston Indoor Opener
Three meet NCAA provisional mark for Women's Track and Field at Houston Indoor Opener
01.12.2008 | Track & Field / Cross Country w, Track & Field / Cross Country
HOUSTON -- Junior Alexandria Anderson and freshman Bianca Knight clocked the fastest 60-meter times this season and senior pole vaulter Ashley Laughlin became the third pole vaulter to meet the NCAA provisional standard at the Houston Indoor Opener on Saturday, Jan. 12.
The No. 11 Longhorns finished second in the scored meet to Houston, 141-125. UT totaled three provisional qualifiers and won six events in the 2008 season opener.
Short sprinters Anderson (Chicago, Ill.) and Knight (Ridgeland, Miss.) met the NCAA both ran 7.34 seconds in the 60-meter finals. Knight grabbed her first collegiate championship by three-thousandths of a second over her All-American teammate Anderson (7.331 to Anderson's 7.334). Knight also led the preliminary round with a 7.38-second performance with Anderson following in 7.41 seconds.
Laughlin (Marble Falls, Texas) captured the pole vault earlier in the day, becoming the first Longhorn to meet a provisional mark this year. She cleared 12-11.50 (3.95m) for her first event championship of the season. She is the third student-athlete in the nation to qualify in the event as her mark ties the NCAA leaders through the first month of the season.
Continuing the winning tradition was sophomore Jordyn Brown (Mesquite, Texas) who threw a lifetime best 47-9.5 (14.57m) in the shot put. She beat her next closest competitor by nearly two-feet (Kiara Pulliam, Houston, 46-0/14.02m) and shattered her previous career best of 45-9 (13.94m).
Classmate Asia Myrland (Verona, Wisc.) took the 5,000-meter title, clocking 17:48.40 in her season-opening race.
Joining Knight in winning the career opener was freshman Lindsey Kaye (Littleton, Colo.). The walk-on jumper used her first jump in the four-attempt series to post a 17-2.75 (5.25m) mark in the "B" section of the long jump.
Texas' middle distance group finished with three of the top four runners in the 800-meter run. Sophomore and All-NCAA South Central Region selection Betzy Jimenez (Hereford, Texas) won the event in 2:13.97. Sophomore Lauren Salisbury (Pflugerville, Texas) had the second speediest time (2:17) while senior Mariya Townswick (Briarcliff, Texas) was fourth in 2:20.26.
Jimenez and Townswick returned to run the 3,000-meter run. Jimenez finished fourth in 10:09.77 while Townswick was ninth in 10:36.24.
Four Texas runners finished in the top six in the mile run. Senior All-American Temeka Kincy (Indianapolis, Ind.) and junior All-Big 12 performer Katara Rosby (Baton Rouge, La.) ran 5:06.36 and 5:10.63 for third and fourth, respectively. Freshmen Jessica Heath (Houston, Texas) and Allison Mendez (Rockwall, Texas) grabbed fifth and sixth, in 5:17.11 and 5:17.21.
Houston native and Texas senior Alandra Sherman finished third in the 60-meter hurdle finals, clocking a season-best 8.62. Fellow hurdler, junior Kira Robinson (Denver, Colo.), placed fifth in 8.72. Sherman clocked 8.79 in the preliminaries while Robinson hurdled 8.84 in the opening round. Sherman also added a 7.91 performance for 15th in the 60-meter run.
Anderson, Sherman, junior Britney Orville (Houston, Texas) and Rosby competed in the first of three 1,600-meter relays, registering a 3:51.28 for second place in the event. Anderson opened the relay and gave UT a five-meter lead though the first exchange. Sherman took advantage, increasing the distance to 10-meters before being passed by runners from Tulane and Houston. Orville grabbed the baton in third place maintaining that distance for anchor Rosby who crossed the line second behind host school Houston.
In the next heat, UT held the lead through the first two exchanges between freshman Jerramesha Reed (Dallas, Texas) and Kincy. Knight ran the third segment holding a comfortable lead for anchor and Texas freshman Jennifer Reha (Carrollton, Texas). The quartet crossed the line in 3:55.41.
The third and final 4x4 of Kaye, freshman Kristin Schulz (The Woodlands, Texas), sophomore Lauren Kern (Phoenix, Ariz.) and freshman Jena Cuellar (Progreso Lakes, Texas) competed in the final 4x400-meter relay, running 4:12.95.
POSTMEET NOTES
Schultz jumped 14-7 (4.44m) for ninth place in the "B" section of the long jump, placed seventh with a clearance of 5-2.25 (1.58m) and finished the 60-meter hurdles in 10.54... Freshman Ashley King (Schertz, Texas) clocked 10.15 in the 60-meter hurdles... Orville finished sixth in the 400 in 59.43 and ninth in the 200 (26.26)... Reha clocked 1:00.10 for eighth in the quarter-mile... Reed ran 1:00.80 in the 400 and 26.70 in the 200... After a collision with another runner in her heat, sophomore Kendall Fisher (Lufkin, Texas) finished the 400 in 1:10.34... Newcomer Christina Jackson (Corinth, Texas) clocked 26.40 in the 200.
POSTMEET QUOTES
HEAD COACH BEV KEARNEY
On the NCAA provisional performances in the 60-meter dash: The 60-meter dash was a good race between Alex and Bianca. They both executed certain components of their race and there were certain components of each of their races where they needed to do a better job. I think overall considering the type of training we've been doing, I think 7.34 is a phenomenal opening. They are going to help make each other better.
On Ashley Laughlin meeting the NCAA provisional mark in her first meet: You could see Ashley coming last year and now she's developing into not just a conference level athlete but a national caliber athlete which is where her true passions lie. She wants to get to the national level, not to just go but score points towards a national championship.
On the team's overall performance: Across the board, for the season opener, we now know where we are and we know what we have to do. We know this isn't it. It gave some people a wakeup call and gave other people some affirmations to keep going. It accomplished what we wanted to do.
SENIOR POLE VAULTER Ashley Laughlin
On meeting the NCAA provisional standard in the pole vault: It was very nice to get qualifying out the way. It would have been nice to get a higher height but I'm glad I got it done. This year was different because I came in with the mentality that you have to start strong to get your confidence.
FRESHMAN SHOT PUTTER Jordyn Brown
On winning her first shot put of the 2008 season: It felt great to hit a personal best in the shot put and win the meet. Going into the meet, I wanted to have more confidence than I did last year and I think that made the difference.
