April 16, 2011
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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Junior Jackie Coward of the UCF outdoor track & field team set the fastest wind-legal time in the nation this year in the 100-meter hurdles and two school records at the Tom Jones Memorial at Florida's Percy Beard Track Saturday afternoon.
In the 100-meter hurdles, Coward posted the best qualifying time before moving on to the finals, where she finished first overall in a UCF record 12.96, besting the previous mark of 13.03 by Tiki James set in 2009. Coward's time on Saturday is the fastest wind-legal mark in the nation this year and is the fifth fastest overall.
Coward then went on to earn another first-place finish and program record in the 400-meter hurdles with a 57.78. That time was more than a full second faster than previous record holder Lizzie Harris' mark of 58.92 set two years ago.
Coward wasn't the only member of the Knights to set a school record in Gainesville Saturday as the 4x400-meter relay team posted a second-place finish in 3:39.60. Champelle Brown, Afia Charles, Sandy Jean and Ne'Ausha Logan combined to set the mark, which bested the three-year old record of 3:40.31 set in 2008.
"It was a pretty good day," head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert said. "I am very excited about the competitive fire that the entire team displayed today."
Mica Wimberly (3rd, 13.41) and Ashley Bolling (8th, 13.87) each set personal records in the 100-meter hurdles with Coward, while Karessa Farley's 13.47 in the finals was good for fourth place. Jean was the only other UCF athlete to run in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing 10th in 1:03.49.
The 100 meters saw Aurieyall Scott run the eighth-fastest time in any conditions in the country this year to earn the first-place finish, crossing in 11.17. Sheila Paul (4th, 11.41) and Lynne Layne (8th, 11.48) rounded out the Knights in the top 10, while Dominique Booker's mark of 11.58 placed 11th.
UCF's 4x100-meter relay team claimed the top spot Saturday afternoon with a 43.69. Booker, Scott, Layne and Paul made up the four runners in the race that finished just 16-hundredths of second back of the program record set three weeks ago at the UCF Invitational.
Logan not only helped to break a record in the 4x400 relay, but also broke the freshman record in the 800 meters. Logan's personal-best time of 2:11.95 placed her fifth overall as she eclipsed the old freshmen mark set by Karen Kozub by just seven-hundredths of a second. Erica Winston (7th, 2:12.80) and Carley Dart (8th, 2:13.93) crossed the line just back of Logan in the race.
In the 200 meters, Layne ran one of the fastest times in program history to claim third place. Layne won her heat in 23.46 to secure the third-place overall finish. Booker and Paul were fifth and sixth, respectively, with times of 23.56 and 23.63. Sonnisha Williams (15th, 24.16), Tyler Smith (19th, 24.63), Amanda Leland (23rd, 25.02) and Brittany McCord (30th, 26.13) rounded out the UCF contingent in the 200 with Leland setting a personal record in the process.
Brown led the Knights in the 400 meters with a fourth-place finish in 55.91. Charles, who ran with Brown as part of the record-breaking 4x400 relay team, crossed in 55.91. Dan'Elle Bellamy (12th, 58.65) and Eva Pierce (15th, 59.59) also ran in the 400 for UCF.
Erica Weiss set a new personal record in the pole vault as she cleared a height of 12-0.50/3.67m to finish 12th. Katya Groff set a PR in the 1500 meters as she finished in 4:54.54 for 15th, one spot back of Danielle Scaffidi in 14th in 4:48.81. Mason Gardberg was the lone UCF runner in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing second in 12:44.66.
Sonnisha Williams finished second in both the high jump (5-6.00/1.68) and the long jump (20-2.25/6.15m) Saturday afternoon. Tomika Story was ninth in the long jump with a mark of 18-7.00/5.66m, while fifth in the triple jump with a distance of 39-2.25/11.94m. Jacquelyn Gilchrist was the third UCF athlete competing in the long jump, finishing 10th in 18-6.0/5.64m.
Throwers Destinee Romain and Satrina Oliveira competed in both the shot put and the discus Saturday in Gainesville. Romain was 14th in the shot put with a throw of 41-2.25/12.55m, while 17th in the discus with a distance of 128-0/39.02m. Oliveira placed 15th in both events with throws of 40-2.25/12.25m (shot put) and 139-7/42.55m (discus).
"We've talked a lot about trusting ourselves this year, and I know that today we really began to head down that road," Smith Gilbert added. "We are getting to the point where our competition efforts are matching our training efforts and when that happens we can more easily begin to make adjustments.
"I thought the team really showed up today and competed well in some events. We still have some work in others, but we are continuing to get better and faster each week," Smith Gilbert added.
Former UCF standout Tiki James also set a new personal record in her heat of the 100-meter hurdles, finishing in 12.86 in the preliminaries before finishing first in the finals in 12.91.
The Knights will now have another weekend off to prepare for the annual Penn Relays in Philadelphia April 28-30.
Tom Jones Memorial - UCF Track & Field Results
Percy Beard Track
April 16, 2011
High Jump
2. Sonnisha Williams, 5-6.00/1.68m
Long Jump
2. Sonnisha Williams, 20-2.25/6.15m (+2.0)
9. Tomika Story, 18-7.00/5.66m (+2.9)
10. Jacquelyn Gilchrist, 18-6.0/5.64m (-0.9)
4x100 Meter Relay
1. UCF `A' 43.69
4x400 Meter Relay
2. UCF `A' 3:39.60 ^
3,000-Meter Steeplechase
2. Mason Gardberg, 12:44.66
100 Meter Hurdles
Preliminaries
1. Jackie Coward, 12.87q (+5.1w)
3. Karessa Farley, 13.51 (+2.5w)
7. Mica Wimberly, 13.72q (+2.5w)
8. Ashley Bolling, 13.95q (+3.6w)
Finals
1. Jackie Coward, 12.96 (0.0w) !^
3. Mica Wimberly, 13.41 (0.0w) !
4. Karessa Farley, 13.47 (0.0w)
8. Ashley Bolling, 13.87 (0.0w) !
400 Meter Hurdles
1. Jackie Coward, 57.78!^
10. Sandy Jean, 1:03.49
100 Meters
1. Aurieyall Scott, 11.17 (+3.4w)
4. Sheila Paul, 11.41 (+3.4w)
8. Lynne Layne, 11.48 (+3.4w)
11. Dominique Booker, 11.58, (+3.8w)
18. Tyler Smith, 11.94 (+3.8w)
19. Amanda Leland, 11.97 (+4.6w)
22. Brittany McCord, 12.26 (+4.6w)
23. Jacquelyn Gilchrist, 12.45 (+4.6w)
200 Meters
3. Lynne Layne, 23.46 (+2.5w)
5. Dominique Booker, 23.56 (+2.5w)
6. Sheila Paul, 23.63 (+2.7w)
15. Sonnisha Williams, 24.16 (+1.7)
19. Tyler Smith, 24.63 (+1.3)
23. Amanda Leland, 25.02 (+1.8) !
30. Brittany McCord, 26.13 (+1.8)
400 Meters
4. Champelle Brown, 55.11
9. Afia Charles, 55.91
12. Dan'Elle Bellamy, 58.65
15. Eva Pierce,59.59
800 Meters
5. Ne'Ausha Logan, 2:11.95 #!
7. Erica Winston, 2:12.80
8. Carley Dart, 2:13.93
1500 Meters
14. Danielle Scaffidi, 4:48.81
15. Katya Groff, 4:54.54 !
Triple Jump
5. Tomika Story, 39-2.25/11.94m (-3.1)
Pole Vault
12. Erica Weiss, 12-0.50/3.67m!
-- London Enos
Shot Put
14. Destinee Romain, 41-2.25/12.55m
15. Satrina Oliveira, 40-2.25/12.25m
Discus
15. Satrina Oliveira, 139-7/42.55m
17. Destinee Romain, 128-0/39.02m