The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
C-USA Indoor Championships
First Day Success At C-USA Track Championships
2/28/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Feb. 28, 2014
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- Elinor Kirk cruised to a victory in the 5,000-meter run and Shelby Barkerled a 3-5-6 UAB finish in the pentathlon as the 2014 Conference USA Track and Field Championships opened Friday at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
The second day of competition will be held Saturday with field events starting at noon and running events getting underway at 2:00 p.m. UAB is hosting the meet for the third consecutive year.
The Blazers are currently in third place after five scored events with 24 points. East Carolina leads the meet with 29 points while UTSA, after winning the final event of the night, the distance medley relay, is second with 25 points.
"I was very pleased with how day one of our championship meet went," said UAB head coach Kurt Thomas. "I told the ladies last night that each of them had a job to do, and they all came out and did their jobs in every event. Shelby did great and got on the podium for third in the pentathlon, and Neal and Akira fought hard to score points in it as well. Eli came out and took care of her business in the 5000m for 10 huge points.
"And the DMR scrapped for an important point with all four ladies running close to personal-best type splits. We qualified the people in each prelim we needed to, and even qualified with stronger marks than what got us here, so that was great to see. To end day one in 3rd place overall, with two ladies getting on the medal stand, having a C-USA Champion and being in lots of finals tomorrow is a great day.
We have our work cut out for us," Thomas said. "Everyone has to come back motivated and ready to go do their job again. We have lots of points to go after. I believe in this team. I'm excited to watch them perform tomorrow."
Kirk, last year's high point scorer who entered the meet with the league's best 5k time and the fifth-best that has been posted nationally this indoor season, won the 5,000 with a time of 16:35.38. She took control of the race in the early laps and won by nearly 11 seconds over runner-up Cali Roper of Rice (16:46.02).
"It is nice to get the first one out of the way," said Kirk, a native of Swansea, Wales who is scheduled to compete in the mile and 3,000-meter runs on Saturday. "I think the first one is the one I am most nervous about, so it's good to get that one done."
"I was over the moon with second (place) last year. I didn't really know what was going to happen last year and I never would have thought that I was going to win it this year, so I am just really happy."
Barker, on the strength of her performance in the final event of the pentathlon -- the 800-meter run -- claimed third place in the event with 3,652 points. Neal Tisher, who transferred to UAB to enter medical school after a standout career at Ole Miss, was fifth in the event with 3,564 points.
Akira McSwainplaced sixth with 3,507 points, boosted by her second-place effort in the high jump.
The Blazers also had several athletes qualify for Saturday finals in respective events and some who narrowly missed advancing.
Senior Shakima Knox was the top qualifier in the 60-meter dash as she crossed the finish line at 7.45. Alexis Bates, also a senior, also advanced to Saturday's final with a time of 7.57. Another UAB senior, Angel Watson, just missed qualifying as she clocked a time of 7.61.
Watson, however, will run in the 200-meter final Saturday after winning her heat and clocking a time of 24.38. Knox finished at 24.72 with Kandiss Briggscrossing the line at 24.97 and Bates at 25.03.
In the 400-meter dash, Blazer senior Kyana Whitewas second overall at 55.79 and will be among the favorites in Saturday's final.
Kelli Smithplaced ninth overall in the long jump, just missing a scoring position, with a leap of 16-11 1/2.
The Blazers finished eighth in the distance medley relay in the final event of the evening.
