January 21, 2011

Williams and Scott Claim Wins at Final Day of Hokie Invitational

Jan. 22, 2011

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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com

BLACKSBURG, Va. (UCFAthletics.com) - Coming into the season, UCF track & field head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert was excited about the mix of youth to compliment a veteran team that claimed a Conference USA Championship last spring. Her excitement seems to be warranted as sophomore Sonnisha Williams and freshman Aurieyall Scott won indoor events Saturday afternoon at Virginia Tech's Hokie Invitational.

In the long jump, Williams set a new school record and personal-best mark with a jump of 20-9.0/6.32m to finish first and earn a provisional qualifying mark. Her jump was nearly 10 inches more than second-place finisher April Sinkler from Clemson. The jump eclipsed her previous best of 6.25m set in the spring of 2010 and broke the previous school record of 19-11.50/6.09m set by Dionne Thomas on Feb. 1, 2008.

"I was excited about Sonnisha's school record and the provisional mark," Smith Gilbert said. "Overall it was a very good day for us.

"It is still early in the season, but we are going to continue to step it up every week. We are going to go back to the drawing board and start getting ready for next week," Smith Gilbert added.

Senior Lynne Layne (18-11.25/5.77m) finished fifth in the long jump, while juniors Tomika Story (18-9.0/5.71m) and Jacquelyn Gilchrist (18-2.50/5.55m) were sixth and ninth, respectively. Story's jump was a personal best as she eclipsed her old mark of 18-5.75/5.63m.

Williams wasn't done with just one win on Saturday as she would go on to take first in the high jump as well. The second-year Knight claimed victory as she posted a collegiate-best height of 5-6.50/1.69m. Her previous best height came last January at the Rod McCravy meet where she jumped a 5-2.25/1.58m to finish tied for eighth. Williams cleared the first two heights in two attempts to take first overall in a field of 24 jumpers.

A week after setting a school and freshman record in the 200 meters to finish first at Kentucky, Scott again took first at Rector Field House Saturday afternoon. Just short of last week's mark of 23.35, Scott ran a 23.54 to win the event.

Fellow freshman Dominique Booker was fourth overall in 23.95, while senior Sheila Paul was fifth in the event in a personal-best time of 24.19. Like Scott, Booker and Paul both won their heats on Saturday. Freshman Tyler Smith (24.65) and senior Layne (24.77) each finished third in their heats and 11th and 12th overall, respectively.

Senior Champelle Brown led the Knights in the 400 meters with a fourth-place finish in 56.35, just three-hundredths of a second off her collegiate best time set last season. Freshman Sandy Jean posted a personal-best time of 56.92 to finish seventh overall and second in her heat. Despite winning her heat and posting a personal record, fellow freshman Erica Winston's time of 57.28 placed her 12th overall.

Competing in the most challenging heat of the 800 meters on Saturday, freshman Ne'Ausha Logan finished as the top UCF runner in the event. Finishing seventh in a heat that produced the top-s ix overall times, Logan was 10th in 2:18.27 in her first race in this event at the collegiate level. Senior Dan'Elle Bellamy was 16th overall, while finishing third in her heat in 2:22.96.

UCF's distance medley relay team comprised of Carley Dart, Bellamy, Winston and Logan finished seventh in 12:48.04.

The Knights' 4x400-meter relay team didn't break the school record again as it did last week with a 3:40.15, but it did break the old mark of 3:46.28 by nearly four seconds. Freshman Afia Charles, junior Jackie Coward, Jean and Brown combined to run a 3:42.49 on Saturday.

In the shot put, freshman throwers Destinee Romain and Satrina Oliveira continue to develop. Romain finished 12th with a mark of 40-4.00/12.29m. Oliveira improved on her throw last week at Kentucky by almost two feet Saturday. Her throw of 38-8.75/11.80m was good for 18th in a field of more than 45.

"Destinee and Satrina put out a good effort today, but unfortunately we haven't seen the results we are looking for yet," assistant coach Jeff Chakouian said. "We need to keep working each week to get better."

The Knights will be back in action next weekend at the Penn State National Invitational in College Station, Pa. The meet begins on Friday and runs through Saturday.

High Jump

1. Sonnisha Williams 5-6.50/1.69m

Long Jump

1. Sonnisha Williams 20-9.0/6.32m

5. Lynne Layne 18-11.25/5.77m

6. Tomika Story 18-9.0/5.71m

9. Jacquelyn Gilchrist 18-2.50/5.55m

Shot Put

12. Destinee Romanin 40-4.00/12.29m

18. Satrina Oliveira 38-8.75/11.80m

200 meters

1. Aurieyall Scott 23.54