The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Women's Track and Field wins 4x400m relay on final day of NCAA Outdoor Championships
06.13.2009 | Track & Field / Cross Country w, Track & Field / Cross Country
June 13, 2009
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- University of Texas women's 4x400m relay won its first national title since 2005 after blazing across the finish line in 3:28.51, the 10th fastest time in school history. The Longhorns finished fifth in the team race, their highest finish since winning it all in 2005. Despite having just two individuals and one relay, the Longhorns tallied 36 points behind three individual titles.
Texas' 4x400m of freshmen Judy Nwosu and Angele Cooper, senior Alexandria Anderson and sophomore Chantel Malone, entered the race with the fifth-fastest time out of the preliminaries. Nwosu ran the leadoff leg for the Horns before handing off to Cooper who was able to put the Longhorns in first after her 400.
Anderson extended UT's lead with a split of 50.93 on the third leg. Malone, the 17-year old from the British Virgin Islands, received the baton with a lead of almost seven meters and held on with a split of 52.13 to give Texas the win in 3:28.50, almost four seconds faster than its previous season best. The mile relay title is the eighth in UT history, the most by any women's program in NCAA history.
Anderson, who won her first national title in the 100m last night, opened up the day with her highest finish in the 200m at the national outdoor meet with a third-place time of 22.88. The senior finished the outdoor meet with 16 total points after becoming the first female to place in both the 100m and 200m for three-straight years since Muna Lee in 2002-04.
Anderson wrapped up the meet with three All-America honors, giving her 20 total over her four-year career, the second most in UT history behind Carlette Guidry's 23.
With their fifth-place finish, the Longhorns have now placed in the top 10 at the NCAA Outdoor Championship in 15 of the last 16 years.
Texas A&M claimed the women's team title with 50 points followed by Oregon (43 points), Arizona State (41 points) and Florida State (40 points).
POST MEET QUOTES
Sophomore Chantel Malone
On running the anchor leg of the winning 4x400m relay: Coach Bev told me this morning that I was going to anchor. We are a young team, but being a sophomore, I felt like I had the experience to get it done. I got the baton with about a seven-meter lead and know that if I could hang on, we'd be national champions. Age doesn't really matter as much as experience in this race. We are young but experienced, and I think we showed that.
TEXAS RESULTS
4x400m relay
1. Texas (J. Nwosu, A. Cooper, A. Anderson, C. Malone), 3:28.51
200m finals
3. Alexandria Anderson, 22.88
