The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Conference USA Championships
UAB Track & Field In Fifth After Third Day Of C-USA Championships
5/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
May 15, 2010
ORLANDO, Fla. --- UAB had seven athletes qualify for Sunday's finals in the 1,500-meter, 100-meter hurdles, 800-meter and 400-meter hurdle events here Saturday at the Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by UCF.
The UAB women are in fifth place in the team standings with 28 points after three days of competition. SMU is in first with 50 points while Rice has recorded 39 points to be runner-up. East Carolina and UTEP round out the top five with 36 and 32 points, respectively.
UAB interim head coach Kurt Thomas was impressed by his team's hard work and ability to dig deep Saturday.
"We're exctied to have seven girls qualify for final events tomorrow," Thomas said. "We still have work to do scoring points in the finals. We're looking forward to two-time C-USA champion Nora Mehl high jumping and Samantha Hamilton competing in the triple jump."
Senior Kendel Hood qualifed for the 1,500-meter finals after crossing the line in 4:37.99 to place 12th. The Spring, Texas product looks to improve on her ninth-place finish in the event at the 2009 conference championship.
In the 100-meter hurdles, senior Timara McMillan and junior Samantha Hamilton both turned in personal record marks to qualify for the finals. McMillan placed fourth with a time of 13.76 while Hamilton finished fifth (13.89).
Both Bianca Le'Blanc and Lauren Fayen qualified for the 800-meter finals. Le'Blanc clocked a personal record time of 2:09.77 to place seventh and Fayen finished eighth with a time of 2:10.63. Lucy Taylor also ran to a personal record time of 2:13.28.
Freshmen Rachel Harley and Lytrice Thomas both posted personal record times to qualify for the 400-meter hurdle finals. Harley recorded a third-place finish with a time of 1:02.03, and Thomas claimed fourth with a time of 1:02.05.
Sophomore Kristina Vaughn clocked a time of 10:47.43, a lifetime best time by almost 20 seconds, in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to place fifth and score points for the Blazers. Classmate Colleen Standridge finished close behind in seventh with a lifetime best time of 10:55.75.
Freshman Angel Watson posted collegiate best times in both the 100-meter and the 200-meter. The Mobile, Ala., product ran to a time of 11.92 in the 100 and 24.26 in the 200.
"This team has already done well," Thomas said. "I think we can go out there tomorrow and leave it all on the line."
The four-day C-USA Championships wrap up Sunday with field events starting at 1 p.m. ET with the javelin and the running events at 6:05 p.m. with the 4x100-meter relay. The presentation of awards will be at 9:30 p.m. ET. Blazer fans can track Sunday's events through live results at flashresults.com.
