When: Friday-Saturday, Feb. 29- March 1, 2008
Where: Lincoln, Neb. (Devaney Indoor Track Center)
AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 12 Texas Women's Track and Field team wants to set a new record for most indoor titles with a team crown from this weekend's Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship. The two-day meet begins on Friday, Feb. 29 at Devaney Indoor Track Center in Lincoln, Neb.
Texas has history at the Big 12 Championship
UT is one of the most successful teams at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Longhorns have captured five conference crowns since 1997, tying Nebraska for the most of any program in the league. UT won a championship in 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2006.
2007 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships recap
Texas finished second at the 2007 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship with 104 points. Three Longhorns captured conference titles. Anderson won the 60 in 7.30 seconds. Then-sophomore Destinee Hooker (San Antonio, Texas) soared to a win in the high jump at 6-1.25 (1.86m).
Horns have depth and scoring potential
Heading into the conference championships, nine Longhorns have performances in the top eight including the 1,600-meter relay. Texas has depth as three events have at least two entries in the top eight - 60m, 200m and 800m. Knight and Anderson are first (7.21) and fourth (7.30) in the 60m and are second (23.07) and fourth (23.36) in the 200m, respectively. Anderson is also third in the long jump (19-10.755/6.06m). Senior All-American Temeka Kincy (Indianapolis, Ind.) is third in the 800 (2:08.20) and seventh in the 400 (55.34). All-Big 12 performer Katara Rosby (Baton Rouge, La.) is sixth in the 800m (2:09.08). Sophomore Betzy Jimenez (Hereford, Texas) has the fifth-fastest mile run time (4:46.05) of the indoor season while classmate Asia Myrland (Verona, Wisc.) is seventh in the 5,000-meter run (17:01.58). UT school record holder Ashley Laughlin (Marble Falls, Texas) has the third highest vault mark (12-11.75/3.96m) among league pole vaulters. Freshman Chantel Malone (Tortola, British Virgin Islands) is sixth in the triple jump (40-9.75/12.44m) while sophomore thrower Jordyn Brown (Mesquite, Texas) enters with the second-farthest throw (52-11/16.13m) in the Big 12. The 4x400-meter relay (3:38.51) is second in the conference.
NCAA automatic and provisional standards
Five Longhorns and one relay have totaled nine NCAA automatic and provisional marks. Knight automatically qualified in the 60 and the 200. Anderson joins Knight with a provisional time in both the 60 and the 200. Kincy met the provisional in the 800 while fellow middle distance runner Jimenez provisionally qualified in the mile run. In the field events, Laughlin met the standard in the pole vault while Brown tossed a provisional throw in the shot put.
Track and Field rankings
The Longhorns are currently ranked No. 12 in the nation according to the latest USTFCCCA national rankings (week five). LSU is ranked No. 1 ahead of No. 2 Arizona State (Defending champion), No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Tennessee and No. 5 Michigan. The Big 12 has four schools ranked in the top 25 including No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 10 Kansas, No. 24 Baylor.
The Longhorns opened the season ranked No. 11. In the first poll released on Jan. 30, UT moved to No. 16. Texas then dropped to No. 21 (week two) and out of the rankings (week three) before moving up to No. 13 after an impressive performance during week four.
Kearney honored as Auburn Lifetime Achievement
Head coach Bev Kearney is one of four recipients of the 2008 Auburn Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award. Kearney, a 1981 graduate of the Tiger program, will receive the award that recognizes extraordinary accomplishments by members of the AU family. To be selected, the nominees must have attained prominence in their professional careers and must be persons of integrity, stature and demonstrated ability. Kearney will travel to Auburn, Ala., on Saturday (March 1) to receive the award at a banquet at the Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center.
Kearney enshrined in USTFCCCA Hall of Fame
On Dec. 17, 2007, Kearney was enshrined into the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) Hall of Fame. Kearney was one of eight inductees at the ceremony at the annual coaches' convention in Phoenix, Ariz. Kearney has totaled seven NCAA National Championships in her 22 years as a head coach (six at Texas) and one at the University of Florida. During her head coaching career, her teams have captured 22 league titles (11 Big 12 Conference, eight Southwest Conference and three Southeastern Conference) and recorded an undefeated mark in four years of competition in the Southwest Conference (1993-1996).
Knight shares Big 12 Athlete of the Week as fastest UT frosh ever
Freshman sprinter Bianca Knight (Ridgeland, Miss.) was named the Big 12 Co-Athlete of the Week after automatically qualifying in the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes at the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 16. Knight shared the honor with Kansas' Nickesha Anderson. Knight ran the fastest 60 and 200 times ever by a Longhorn freshman. She ran 7.21 seconds in the 60. In the 200, she clocked the second fastest 200 time in the nation (23.07) and third-speediest in UT history, and secured a second bid to her first indoor nationals.
Knight, who entered the meet with a 60-meter personal best time of 7.26 seconds from her prep days, tied Olympian and former Texas sprinter Sanya Richards for third in the all-time performers category and stands within seven-hundredths of a second of UT's top-two performers -- school record holder Carlette Guidry (7.14 seconds as a senior in 1991) and NCAA champion Marshevet Hooker (7.20 seconds as a junior in 2006).
In the 200, the first-year Longhorn is second to Richards (22.49) and Hooker (22.86).
Anderson returns as Big 12 champion
Texas' Alexandria Anderson (Chicago, Ill.) is the lone returning Big 12 Champion on the Texas roster. The third-year Longhorn won the 60 in 7.30 seconds at the 2006 championships as a sophomore. This year, Anderson enters with a season-best time of 7.30 sitting in fourth behind teammate Knight (7.21), Anderson (7.28) and Texas A&M's Simone Facey (7.28).
Sprint duo ranked high on NCAA list
Knight and Anderson are in the top 10 in the 60 and the 200. Knight has the second fastest 200 time and the third speediest 60 time. Anderson is eighth on the 200 descending order list and 10th in the 60.
Anderson and Knight reset Houston Indoor Invitational record
Anderson and Knight clocked 7.30 seconds in the 60 at the Houston Indoor Invitational, breaking the one-year old mark of 7.31 seconds set by former University of Houston and NCAA All-American sprinter Ebonie Floyd on Feb. 3, 2007. Anderson edged Knight by two-thousandths of a second (7.293 to 7.295) to win the event championship. It marked the second 60-meter mark that Anderson has met as she tied the short sprint record at the Illinois Women's Quadrangular meet on Jan. 19.
Anderson garners Big 12 nod for trio of wins
Anderson garnered weekly conference honors for her three-event winning performance at the Illinois Women's Quadrangular meet on Jan. 19. The Chicago native improved her NCAA provisional time and tied the Armory Track record in the 60-meter dash, running 7.31 seconds in the victory. She added a second NCAA provisional mark in the 200 with an event-best 23.85. Anderson nearly added a third provisional standard in the long jump, leading the field with a lifetime best jump of 19-10.75 (6.06m).
Laughlin reaches provisional second time out
After setting the UT school record in the pole vault in each of the last three seasons, Laughlin started a new trend for Horns' vaulters as she met the NCAA provisional standard for the second consecutive season. Laughlin equaled the standard of 12-11.5 (3.95m) in event wins at the Houston Indoor Opener on Jan. 12 and the Houston Invitational on Feb. 2. She improved her mark with a vault of 12-11.75 (3.96m) in tying for fifth at the Tyson Invitational.
Brown shattering personal bests
Second-year thrower Brown improved her personal best by 7 feet, two inches this year. Entering the 2008 season with a personal best of 45-9 in the shot put, Brown showed her progress, tossing 47-9.75 (14.57m) to win the Houston Indoor Opener. She added another four-feet to her lifetime best, capturing the crown at the Illinois Quadrangular with a throw of 51-3 (15.62m). After tossing 49-6.25 (15.09m) at the Houston Invitational, Brown hit a lifetime-best mark of 52-11 (16.13m) at the Tyson Invitational.
