March 22, 2008
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Junior UCF middle distance runner Shantile Blackburn (Brooklyn, N.Y.) broke the school's outdoor 800-meter run record on Saturday to cap off a successful appearance by the Knights at the Hurricane Invitational to open the 2008 outdoor track and field season. The two-day event was hosted by the University of Miami at the Cobb Track and Field Facility.
Blackburn, who set UCF's school record in the indoor 800-meter run with a time of 2:12.38 at the Conference USA Indoor Championships on March 1, broke Valerie Beaubrun's six-year-old school record in the outdoor 800 meter by finishing in a time of 2:10.73 on Saturday.
Blackburn's school record in the 800-meter run marked the 14th school record set this season by the Knights under the direction of first-year head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert and the first school record to fall during the 2008 outdoor campaign.
Sophomore sprinter Feyisara Adaramola (Bronx, N.Y.) broke her personal-best time in the 100-meter dash, finishing fifth in 12.05. Junior hurdler Natalie Braddock (Callahan, Fla.), who entered the meet ranking third all-time in school history in the event, finished in 1:03.57, less than a second shy of her personal-best time of 1:02.16.
Freshman sprinter Lizzie Harris (Miami, Fla.), who was competing in her first outdoor collegiate meet and holds indoor school records in the 200 and 400-meter dashes as well as the high jump, finished the 200-meter dash in a time of 24.76, the fourth-best outdoor performance in school history in that event.
UCF's throwers showed continued progress under the direction of first-year assistant coach John Ridgway, competing in the shot put. Sophomore LaKendra Thames (Winter Garden, Fla.) finished third with a toss of 43-6.50, while senior Virginia Traynor (Miami, Fla.) was seventh with a mark of 41-1.75.
UCF returns to action April 4-5, when it travels to Gainesville, Fla., to participate in the two-day Florida Relays hosted by the University of Florida.
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.
UCF Results - Hurricane Invitational Day 2 (Saturday, March 22, 2008 - Coral Gables, Fla.)
1,500-Meter Run (RQS: 4:27.80)
2. Karen Kozub - 4:42.43
7. Kelly McNeill - 4:58.63
100-Meter Hurdles (RQS: 13.92)
12. Victoria Chin - 14.39
22. Sheree Carter - 15.84
24. Natalie Braddock - 15.98
25. Michelle Ranc - 16.14
Shot Put (RQS: 14.30m (46-11)
3. LaKendra Thames - 43-6.50
7. Virginia Traynor - 41-1.75
11. Christina Raphael - 40-2.25
Long Jump (RQS: 6.00m (19-8 1/4)
2. Dione Thomas - 19-4.25
Triple Jump (RQS: 12.32m (40-5)
11. Micaela Wimberly - 35-2
100-Meter Dash (RQS: 11.75)
5. Feyisara Adaramola - 12.05 (+0.7)
T7. Dione Thomas - 12.29 (+1.3)
400-Meter Hurdles (RQS: 1:00.82)
8. Natalie Braddock - 1:03.57
13. Olinka Crusoe - 1:06.09
20. Michelle Ranc - 1:11.79
800-Meter Run (RQS: 2:09.80)
3. Shantile Blackburn - 2:10.73 (School Record)
200-Meter Dash (RQS: 23.96)
12. Lizzie Harris - 24.76 (+0.6)
13. Feyisara Adaramola - 24.83 (+1.1)
25. Victoria Chin - 25.81 (+0.2)
Steeplechase (RQS:10:50.25)
1. Elizabeth Miller - 11:39.30
2. Erica Weitz - 12:13.36
4x400-Meter Relay (RQS: 3:42.00)
9. UCF `A' - 3:59.35
-Feyisara Adaramola, Victoria Chin, Sheree Carter, Shantile Blackburn