Highsmith Leads Women's Track and
Field to Fourth Place Finish at BIG EAST Championship
Click Here For Results
STORRS, Conn.
(May 4, 2008)
- Senior Tamara Highsmith (East Haven, Conn.) recorded a new school
record with a mark of 13.44 meters (44-01.25) and a first place finish in the
triple jump as she led the University of Connecticut women's track and field team
to a fourth place finish at the 2008 BIG EAST Outdoor Track and Field
Championship in Villanova, Pa.
The Huskies, who won the BIG EAST
Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship title this year, recorded 84 team
points in their fourth place finish. Louisville won the championship title with
106 points while Pittsburgh and Notre Dame rounded out the top three spots with
87 and 86 points, respectively.
"The team performed at a very high level
this past weekend," said head coach Bill Morgan. "When you consider the
quality of our conference nationally and view the results from our young ladies,
it becomes evident that we have arrived. From the sprint group, led by Trisha,
to the 'performance of the meet' by Tamara breaking the conference record with
that huge 44' jump, the weekend was electric in many ways. We certainly can be
proud of our effort and now look to the rest of our championship season."
Highsmith, who earned All-America status
in the indoor season, came into the weekend with the
top mark in the triple jump in the BIG EAST as she broke her own record with her
finish. Her jump was a conference record, beating out Tabia Charles from Miami
to place her at seventh in the nation.
Also leading the way for the Huskies this
weekend was freshman Trisha-Ann Hawthorne (Elmsford, N.Y.), who won both
the 100 meter dash and 200 meter dash. With her 100 meter winning time of 11.37
she recorded a NCAA qualifying finish as well as a personal record and a new
UConn program record. In the 200 meter dash, Hawthorne took first with a time of
23.33, also a new school record in that event. Currently, Hawthorne is 13th in
the country in the 100 meter and 16th in the 200.
Phylicia George (Markham, Ont.)
took third in the 100 meter hurdles for the Huskies as her 13.62 finish marked a
new personal record for the sophomore. George finished the 200 meter dash in
fourth place. The Huskies 4x400 meter relay team took a fourth place finish as
they qualified for the ECAC's with a time of 3:43.05.
Carin Knight (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
took second in the high jump with a final mark of 1.78 meters (5-10.00) while
Rachael Porter earned an ECAC qualifying mark with a finish of 1.70m
(5-07.00). Junior Mandela Graves-Fulgham (Shutesbury, Mass.)
went into the weekend at the top of the conference in the 400 meter dash and
finished fourth in the finals with a mark of 54.62. In the preliminaries she
finished at 54.43.
Junior captain Amanda Martin
(Rowley, Mass.) threw the javelin for a second place finish as she recorded a
mark of 45.85 meters (150-05), which was also a NCAA qualifying finish for the
Huskies' program.
"I think the major factor in the success
for us has been the consistency we promote every day in practice," added Morgan.
"This has brought us to a position where we expect to win a conference
championship each and every season - much to be excited with on this team."
Women's Most Outstanding Track
Performer: Frances Koons, Villanova
Women's Most Outstanding Field
Performer: Jere' Summers, Louisville
Women's Coaching Staff of the Year:
Louisville
-UCONN-
|
