April 20, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.UCFAthletics.com) - While the rest of the UCF women's track and field team spends a weekend away from the pressure of competition, senior Katie Fowke (Tampa, Fla./Riverview HS) and sophomore Dione Thomas (Jacksonville, Fla./Raines HS) travel to Alabama for the Auburn Invitational.
Both athletes are within reach of their goal to qualify for the NCAA East Regional Championship, which takes place over Memorial Day Weekend in Gainesville, Fla.
A pole vaulter, Fowke is looking to become the first in the history of UCF's program to qualify for four NCAA Regionals. She has made several good attempts at the qualifying height of 12-feet, 5.75 inches this year and vaulted 11-11.75 in the past two consecutive meets. Her personal best stands at 12-5.50, which is also the UCF record.
Thomas is searching the first regional qualification of her career and is slated to compete in the long jump and triple jump at Auburn. Two weeks ago at the Florida Relays, she was two centimeters short of the NCAA Regional standard in the triple jump with a leap of 40-4.25. Last weekend at Miami, she went 39-8 in the event.
In the long jump, Thomas posted a season-best mark of 18-11.25, while her personal best stands at 19-8.75, a half an inch over the regional standard.
The full UCF squad returns to action when the Knights host the Golden Knight Twilight on Saturday, April 28, beginning at 2 p.m. For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports.