April 5, 2006
ORLANDO - Selected athletes from the UCF women's track and field team split into two squads this weekend as the Golden Knights take on the nation's elite at the 79th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays and the Asics Duke Invitational.
Seniors Tiffany Roebuck and Diana Chin and sophomore Victoria Chin travel to Austin, Texas to compete against some of the country's best collegiate track athletes at the Texas Relays.
Returning to the lineup after an illness sidelined her last weekend, Roebuck opens competition on Thursday in the hammer throw. Earlier this season, she broke her own school record in the event with a toss of 192-feet, three inches, which also stands as the top mark in Conference USA and qualified her for a third consecutive NCAA Regional.
On the track, the Chin sisters run in separate hurdle events. Diana returns to the 100-meter hurdle race on Friday after posting a time of 14.11 in her season debut at the UF Diet Pepsi Classic on April 1. The effort currently ranks her fourth in C-USA, but she is eyeing the 13.92 NCAA Regional standard.
Victoria is fresh from recording the conference's best time in the 400m hurdles at 1:00.90, which also ranks second all-time at UCF. She is also within striking distance of the NCAA Regional time of 1:00.82.
Among the teams that the trio faces this weekend in Texas are five C-USA opponents as well as the reigning national champion and relay host Longhorns.
Meanwhile, six Golden Knights travel to Durham, N.C. for the two-day Asics Duke Invitational, which begins on Friday.
Headlining the list of competitors is senior and two-time NCAA qualifier Andrea Morrow. Morrow and sophomore Elizabeth Miller return to the 3,000m steeplechase after a two-week hiatus from the event. At the Disney Invitational last month, Morrow, the school recordholder, posted a time of 11:19.71 to rank fourth in the conference, while Miller ran 11:57.30 and is listed seventh.
Running both days, junior Karen Kozub and freshman Shantile Blackburn go head-to-head in the 1500m and 800m. Kozub is making her middle distance debut, but Blackburn is ranked among C-USA top six in both events.
Junior Jenny Rogan also doubles up as she races in both the 200m and 400m, looking to improve her times. Freshman Sheree Carter joins Rogan in the 200m and also competes in the 100m hurdles.
In addition, four members of the men's cross country team also run at Duke. Juniors Brent and Ryan White compete in the 1500, while freshman Daniel Conn and junior Paul Nielsen race in the 5,000m.