Women's Track and Field starts year at Leonard Hilton Memorial
Jan. 12, 2012
AUSTIN, Texas - The No. 4 Texas Women’s Track and Field Team heads to Houston Friday to begin its season at the 2012 Leonard Hilton Memorial meet at the University of Houston Yeoman Fieldhouse. The Longhorns will be competing against Houston, UTSA, Lamar, Prairie View A&M, Southern, Rice, Stephan F. Austin, and Houston Baptist. Texas looks to open this season with a strong performance after closing out last season with a second place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. “This first meet is critical,” said head coach Beverly Kearney. “I’m excited. I’m looking for downright competitiveness. I’m not looking at the clock or numbers or any of that. I want to see who is going to compete.” The Longhorns start the season ranked No.4 in the USTFCCCA preseason poll and return a strong group of performers while adding a talented freshmen class. The sprinters are one of the deepest and most talented group of sprinters in the country and are led by sophomore Briana Nelson and Angele Cooper. Cooper was a part of the 2009 national championship 4x400 relay team. Other sprinters include A’Lexus Brannon, Kendra Chambers, Chamique Francis, Chalonda Goodman, Beverly Owoyele, Allison Peter, Alicia Peterson, Stacey-Ann Smith, Morgan Snow and Christy Udoh.
Another group with depth is the middle distance and distance group including Julie Amthor, Melanie Barrera, Mia Behm, Jess Clothier, Jourdan Ellis, Rachel Gutknecht, Marielle Hall, Jessica Harper, Katie Hoaldridge, Anne Jones, Marissa Lee, Melissa Mahoney, Brittany Marches, Laleh Mojtabaeezamani, Collen Murray, Jenna Read, Megan Siebert, Virginia Simon, Sara Sutherland, Connor Ward and Katie Watson. Shanay Briscoe is an athlete to keep an eye on after finishing third at the NCAA Championships in the high jump as a freshman. She is joined in the jumping events by Brannon, Victoria Lucas, Owoyele and Snow. Danielle Dowie will compete in the hurdles. The throwers include All-Big 12 honorees Okwukwe Okolie and Amanda Van Dyke as well as Akua Sencherey. Jessica Doyle and Natasha Masterson will compete in the pole vault. |
|
