March 31, 2011
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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF track & field team began the 2011 outdoor season in the comfort of their own backyard with the Black & Gold Challenge and the UCF Invitational. Both events took place at the UCF Track & Field Complex and served as a nice respite from the indoor season that saw the team travel all over the country en route to its best year in program history.
Now, the Knights will head back out on the road and up I-75 to compete at the 67th Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville. The Gators will host the two-day meet starting Friday at Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium. Gates open at 9 a.m. for each day's 10 a.m. start time.
UCF will continue to test itself against some of the best competition in the nation as teams from Miami, Florida State, South Carolina, Clemson, Ole Miss, Maryland, Georgia, Kentucky, Penn State, North Carolina, Georgetown, the hosts from Florida and several more will be competing on Friday and Saturday. Tulane will also be at the meet, marking the first time during the outdoor season that UCF will see a Conference USA opponent.
Last week, the Knights' 4x100-meter relay team broke the school record, finishing first in 43.73 at the UCF Invitational on Saturday afternoon. That time is the fastest in the nation this year by more than a tenth of a second ahead of the relay team from Houston. Dominique Booker, Aurieyall Scott, Lynne Layne and Sheila Paul comprised the four Knights that set the new mark.
Booker would go on to set a new program and freshmen mark later in the afternoon in the 200 meters, crossing in 23.70. Scott also set an individual mark as she broke the UCF freshmen record in the 400 meters. Scott's 53.96 is the new mark for first-year runners, while just six-hundredths of a second off the school record.
Layne also enjoyed individual success, capturing first place in the 100 meters as she finished in 11.73. Layne was not the only member of the Black and Gold to earn a first-place finish, Tomika Story claimed the top spot in the triple jump with a distance of 40-4.00/12.23m.
On Friday afternoon, sophomore Sonnisha Williams broke her own school record in the long jump by five and a half inches. Williams' old mark of 20-6.25/6.25m, set at last May's NCAA East Regional, was surpassed at the UCF Track & Field Complex with a jump of 20-11.75/12.39m late on the first day of competition.
Admission to the Pepsi Florida Relays is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Live results will be available on www.UCFathletics.com along with compete coverage of both days posted following the completion of competition.
Following the weekend in Gainesville, UCF will head out to the West Coast to compete in the Rafer Johnson/JJK Invitational in Los Angeles. The meet is hosted by UCLA.