Feb. 2, 2008
LINCOLN, Neb. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF track and field team shattered six school records Saturday and freshman Lizzie Harris (Miami, Fla.) notched the Knights' first NCAA provisional-qualifying mark of the season to conclude a successful final day of the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational hosted by the University of Nebraska at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
The Knights set school records in the high jump, 60-meter hurdles, distance-medley relay, 4x400-meter relay, 400-meter dash and the 800-meter run, continuing their trend of re-writing the school's record book under the direction of first-year head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert.
"This was another great day for UCF track and field," Smith Gilbert said. "Setting six school records is a great accomplishment for our program. Coach [Mason] Cathey did a good job of preparing the distance runners to set PRs and school records. Our sprinters, jumpers and throwers came through for us today. I was most impressed with our effort today. Everyone went out there and did their best and that is what we have to have in order to be a national-caliber program."
Harris, who has set or tied six school records since joining the Knights, broke her own school record with a leap of 5-10.75 to become the first UCF athlete this season to provisionally-qualify for the NCAA Championships. Last week at the Tom Jones Memorial Classic in Gainesville, Fla., Harris set the freshman school indoor record in the event and tied the school record with a leap of 5-8.75.
"I am really proud of Lizzie," Smith Gilbert said. "An NCAA provisional mark is a great accomplishment, especially for a freshman."
Harris also broke her own school and freshman indoor records in the 400-meter dash. She finished the event in a time of 55.18, which shattered her previous record-setting time of 56.36.
The school's distance medley relay squad, consisting of Shantile Blackburn (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Samantha Shields (Orlando, Fla.), Kristen Zieminski (Sarasota, Fla.) and Jamie Rzepecki (East Aurora, N.Y.) finished second in the event, en route to setting the school record with a time of 12:09.42.
The DMR wasn't the only relay setting records on Saturday, as the school's 4x400-meter relay also eclipsed the previous school record. Sade Nero (Miami, Fla.), Victoria Chin (Orlando, Fla.), Feyisara Adaramola (Bronx, N.Y.) and Harris won their heat and broke the previous school record in a time of 3:47.30.
Blackburn finished second in the 800-meter run in a school-record time of 2:13.85, breaking her PR. Chin broke the school record and set a personal-best time of 8.67 in the finals of the 60-meter hurdles.
"Our team is beginning to believe that they can be a major conference and national contender," Smith Gilbert said. "I am very proud of the effort everyone gave today and I am looking forward to our next meets in two weeks."
A pair of Knights set personal-best marks in the triple jump. Junior Dione Thomas (Jacksonville, Fla.) broke her PR in the event, finishing fourth with a leap of 40-10.25. She accomplished that personal-best mark in her first jump of the day, twice eclipsing the 12.4-meter mark in the triple jump finals. Freshman Micaela Wimberly (Miami, Fla.) also accomplished a personal best in the event with a leap of 37-10.75, recorded on her second attempt.
Zieminski also set a personal-best time in the finals of the mile run, finishing in 5:08.75.
Senior thrower Virginia Traynor (Miami, Fla.) recorded a season-best toss in the shot put with a throw of 42-3.25.
UCF returns to action Feb. 15-16, when split squads travel to Fayetteville, Ark., and Chapel Hill, N.C., to compete in the Tyson Invitational and the Carolina Classic, respectively.
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. Also check out UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational (Lincoln, Neb. - Bob Devaney Sports Center)
UCF Results - Saturday, February 2, 2008
High Jump
1. Lizzie Harris - 5-10.75/1.80m P
Triple Jump
4. Dione Thomas - 40-10.25/12.30m
Shot Put
14. Virginia Traynor - 42-3.25/12.88m
Mile Run
10. Kristen Zieminski - 5:08.75
800-Meter Run
2. Shantile Blackburn - 2:13.85
60-Meter Hurdles Finals
7. Victoria Chin - 8.78
60-Meter Dash Consolation
2. Feyisara Adaramola - 7.71
4. Dione Thomas - 7.62
400-Meter Dash Finals
4. Lizzie Harris - 55.18
Distance Medley Relay
2. UCF `A' - 12:09.42
--Shantile Blackburn, Samantha Shields, Kristen Zieminski, Jamie Rzepecki
4x400-Meter Relay
3. UCF `A' - 3:47.40
--Sade Nero, Victoria Chin, Feyisara Adaramola, Lizzie Harris
& - NCAA Provisional Qualifier
^ - NCAA Automatic Qualifier
p - Time came in preliminary event
q - Qualified for finals of event