April 20, 2006
ORLANDO - With only two meets left prior to its inaugural appearance in the Conference USA Outdoor Championship, the UCF women's track and field team continues to look for improvements and more individual NCAA Regional qualifications at the Bulldog Invitational in Athens, Ga. on Friday and Saturday.
Freshman Sheree Carter opens the competition on Friday with the first two of her seven events as she competes in her first heptathlon. She placed fifth overall in the pentathlon at the C-USA Indoor Championship in February and also ranks second all-time at UCF with 3,229 points.
After posting a season-best mark of 11-feet, 11.75 inches in the pole vault a week ago at the Miami Elite Invitational, junior Katie Fowke is within reach of her school record of 12-0 and the NCAA Regional mark of 12-6. Also looking to improve upon their recent season-bests are sophomore Kelsey Bealert and freshman Brittany McDermott, while senior Tracy Fischler returns to the line-up as well.
Still searching for the NCAA Regional mark in two events, senior Diana Chin races in the 100-meter hurdles and takes on the long jump. Chin is currently ranked fourth in the conference in both events with season bests of 14.11 and 19-6.25, respectively. She is joined by senior Lynnsey Hicks and freshman Dione Thomas in the long jump.
Elsewhere, senior and two-time NCAA Regional qualifier Andrea Morrow and sophomore Elizabeth Miller return to the steeplechase for the third time this season. Last time out at the Duke Invitational on April 8, Morrow ran a season-best 11:05.84, which ranks third in C-USA. At the same meet, Miller earned a time of 11:48.57 to rank eighth in the league.
In other track events, sophomore Allison Palmer races in both the 3,000m and 5,000m, while juniors Kaprice Williams and LaToya Green compete in the sprints.
The Golden Knights finish the regular season at home with the Golden Knight Twilight on April 29, beginning at 2:30 p.m.