May 5, 2010
By Andrew Gavin
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF track and field program will honor five senior student-athletes when it hosts the UCF Twilight Thursday at the UCF Track and Field Complex. The meet, which is free to the public, will begin at 1 p.m. with field events, with the senior day recognition set for 3:30 p.m. before running events get underway at 4 p.m.
The meet is the final regular season event for the Knights and will serve as a precursor for the upcoming Conference USA Outdoor Track & Championships, which will be hosted by UCF from May 13-16.
Seniors Jessica Francis (Orlando, Fla.), Tiki James (Miami, Fla.), Ashley Kirkpatrick (Lake Mary, Fla.), Jamie Rzepecki (East Aurora, N.Y.) and Erica Weitz (Morganville, N.J.) will each be recognized for their contributions to the Knights.
Francis has posted personal bests in the discus, hammer throw and shot put this season. She also finished in the top-10 at the 2010 C-USA Indoor Championships with a personal best in the shot put.
James has quickly become one of the program's most accomplished athletes since transferring to UCF. The star hurdler currently holds the school records in the 55-, 60- and 100-meter hurdles. She has advanced to the NCAA Indoor Championships in each of her two seasons as a Knight, and in 2009, James finished fifth nationally in the 60-meter hurdles to earn All-American accolades. She also advanced to last season's NCAA Outdoor Championships and finished second at the NCAA East Regional in the 100-meter hurdles.
Kirkpatrick is a four-year member of the program from nearby Lake Mary who set a personal best in the weight throw while finishing 14th at the 2010 C-USA Indoor Championships. During the current outdoor season, Kirkpatrick set a personal best in the hammer throw.
Rzepecki is a five-year athlete at UCF running both track and cross country. In her career, Rzepecki has won the 3,000-meter steeplechase at four different meets and also won two individual titles in cross country. She finished in sixth place at the 2009 C-USA Outdoor Championships in the steeplechase.
Weitz has also successfully run both track and cross country in her time at UCF. During an impressive senior campaign, she has shaved over 20 seconds off her previous personal best in the 5,000-meter run, breaking the 18-minute mark for the first time. Weitz has notched four top-5 finishes in her cross country career with the Knights.
Tickets are currently available online for the C-USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and can also be purchased in person at the event. Ticket prices are $12 for adults and $7 for youth each day, and all session tickets cost $25 for adults and $10 for youths. Any students and staff from a C-USA institution are free with an I.D.
More information about the championships, including a schedule of events, records and live results, can be accessed at C-USA Championship Central.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.