Feb. 25, 2006
HOUSTON, Texas - Competing in the program's first ever indoor conference meet, the UCF women's track and field team earned seventh place at the 2006 Conference USA Championship on Saturday afternoon.
After earning several strong performances on Friday, the Golden Knights were ranked third with 27 points going into the final day of competition. They finished the meet with 44 points to take seventh. Host Houston was first with 141.50 points followed by crosstown rival Rice with 126 points. UTEP (72 points), Tulsa (66 pts.) and Southern Miss (60 pts.) rounded out the top five in the 12-team field.
"The teams in Conference USA are very strong, so I was very pleased with our performance," said UCF head coach Marcia Mansur-Wentworth. "Everyone gave their best effort."
Among the Golden Knights contributing points on Saturday were sophomore Victoria Chin and senior Diana Chin in the 60-meter hurdles. After posting a UCF indoor best at 8.71in the preliminaries on Friday, Victoria placed sixth with a time of 8.89, besting older sister Diana, who finished seventh at 8.90.
A pair of Golden Knights also scored in the 800m. Freshman Shantile Blackburn was seventh at 2:17.30, while junior Karen Kozub, running in her fourth middle distance event in two days, took eighth at 2:19.31. She also competed in the mile and distance medley relays.
In the field events, senior Tiffany Roebuck finished fourth in the shot put with a toss of 45-feet, 2.50 inches.
The Golden Knights capped off the competition with an indoor best time in the 4x400m relay at 3:51.83. The team of junior Jenny Rogan, Victoria Chin, Blackburn and freshman Olinka Crusoe finished fifth overall.
The 2006 C-USA Track and Field Championship marks the end of the indoor season. The Golden Knights make their outdoor debut at the UCF Invitational on March 4 at the UCF Track and Field Complex. Events are slated to begin at 11 a.m.