Anderson, relay meet NCAA regional standard on final day of Texas Relays
AUSTIN, Texas -- The 4x400-meter relay regionally-qualified, and junior All-American Alexandria Anderson ran a lifetime best in the 100-meter dash to wrap up competition for the No. 12 Texas Women's Track and Field team at the 2008 81st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. The 4x400-meter relay booked a ticket to the NCAA Midwest Region Championship meet in front of a crowd of 15,931. The group opened the season with a time of three minutes, 29.72 seconds, nearly 13 seconds faster than the standard of 3:42. Anderson (Chicago, Ill.) ran the first leg of the All-American quartet. Junior Katara Rosby (Baton Rouge, La.) took the lead during the first hand off with Anderson before getting caught by Nickiesha Wilson from LSU. Senior Temeka Kincy (Indianapolis, Ind.) took the baton from Rosby, keeping the Longhorns in the top three, before handing off the senior Chauntae Bayne (Saginaw, Texas) for UT's third-place finish. Less than an hour earlier, Anderson easily met the NCAA regional qualifying mark of 11.75, with her lifetime-best 100-meter mark of 11.10 seconds. Anderson, a 12-time All-American running in her first 100 of the 2008 outdoor season, finished second in the invitational section behind NCAA champion Kelly Ann Baptiste (LSU). Kincy and Rosby started the day with the distance-medley relay. Senior Mariya Townswick (Briarcliff, Texas) ran the opening 1,200 meters before exchanging with Kincy for the 800-meter segment. Rosby ran the third leg (400 meters) and sophomore Betzy Jimenez (Hereford, Texas) anchored the group to a third-place finish in 11:18.61. That mark is fifth all-time in the UT record books. In the field events, freshman Chantel Malone (Tortola, British Virgin Islands) and sophomore Jordyn Brown (Mesquite, Texas) posted top-five individual finishes. Malone placed fourth in the A section of the triple jump in an NCAA regional-qualifying and lifetime-best mark of 42 feet, 6.75 inches (12.97m). She added another foot to her prep personal best of 41-0.5 (12.51m). Brown tossed the shot put 52-1.25 (15.88m) on her second throw of the six-attempt series for fifth-place in the A section. She added her third regional qualifying shot put distance of the 2008 season. Brown finished in the top 10 in each of her three events (hammer, discus and shot put) at the 2008 Relays. Texas ex Marshevet Hooker anchored the Start All-Stars to a second-place 4x100-meter relay in 43.06. The Longhorns travel to Texas A&M-Kingsville to compete in the 2008 Javelina Open at Javelina Stadium on April 12.
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