March 31, 2005
ORLANDO - With three names already on the NCAA Regional qualifier list, the UCF women's track and field team is looking to add a few more when the Golden Knights compete in the USF Brighthouse Invitational from April 1-2.
Among those nearing the NCAA regional standards in their events are junior Diana Chin and sophomore Katie Fowke. In the first outdoor meet of the season, Chin earned a mark of 5.92m (19 feet, 5.25 inches) missing the standard by only centimeters. She has also posted a time of 14.09 seconds in the 100m hurdles - short of the event's 13.95 qualifying time. Chin is also set to compete in the triple jump along with her younger sister Vicky Chin and junior Lynnsey Hicks. Hicks also contests the long jump.
In addition to the triple jump, Vicky Chin will also be among the athletes to watch in the hurdles. She currently has season bests of 14.36 in the 100m and 62.26 in the 400m, which is also first on the team.
After making the trip to the 2004 NCAA East Regional, Fowke has narrowly missed the mark with a season best 3.65 (11-11.75) at the FSU Relays. She is aiming for 3.80m. Also in the pole vault lineup are freshmen Michelle Teuton and Kelsey Bealert, both of whom have cleared over the 10-foot mark this spring.
Meanwhile, senior Ann-Louise Larsen will be competing in the high jump at the NCAA Regional for the third consecutive year. She has been one of the team's most consistent performers this year, clearing the qualifying standard of 1.75m (5-8.75) in all three meets she has competed.
Sophomore LesSundra Ford, who made the NCAA finals in the high jump in 2004, is still searching for regional qualification. Although contending with an injury, she has a season best of 1.70m (5.7).
After breaking her own school record with a qualifying mark of 56.64 m (185-10) in the hammer throw, junior Tiffany Roebuck followed that by accomplishing the same two feats in the shot put with a toss of 14.39m (47-2.5). She established the school record at 46.83m (153-8) in the discus during the spring of 2004 and is focused on earning an NCAA mark in that event as well.
Joining Roebuck in the throws are freshmen Kendra Howell, Virginia Traynor and Sade Kusimo. Howell has already thrown 45.75m (150-1.25) in the hammer, a mark that ranks fourth all-time at UCF, while Kusimo's mark of 42.83m (140-6) in the discus is third all-time. Traynor is in the lineup for both the shot put (12.87m/42-3) and discus (39.68m/130-2).
Elsewhere, junior and two-time NCAA Regional competitor Andrea Morrow will be running the 3000m steeplechase for the second time this season after placing fourth at the Florida Relays a week ago.
Coming off a school-record tying performance in the 1500m in Gainesville, junior Astrid Claessens will try to better her time of 4:40.05 in the event and will also race the 800m along with sophomores Karen Kozub and Christina Jones.
In the sprints, sophomores LaToya Green and Jenny Rogan are among those to watch in both the 100m and 200m dashes.