The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Track and Field Travels to Alabama Relays
3/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Alabama Relays | Thursday-Saturday, March 19-21, 2015
Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium | Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Heat Sheets: Thursday | Friday | Saturday
Meet Information: UAB Outdoor Performances | Live Results | Schedule
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB track and field team will make the trip to Tuscaloosa on Thursday to compete in the Alabama Relays.
Competition will run from Thursday until Saturday at the Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium. UAB will open competition at the Alabama Relays in Thursday's javelin throw, with the Blazers entering Ali Meister, Renay Ransaw and Jimmeshia Wilder.
"Alabama Relays is like a rite of spring," UAB head coach Kurt Thomas said. "UAB has gone there every year for a long time. We've always competed well, won some relays and had great meets, so we're excited about competing. It will be our first time setting up several relays, including our 4x100m, for what they will look like the rest of the season. So, there's a lot of technical things going on this weekend, and the girls will get lots of races."
Highlighting the field is a group of Southeastern Conference squads including host Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Mississippi State, whose women's team is ranked 12th nationally.
After taking third in the pentathlon at the Conference USA Indoor Championships, Shelby Barker will once again enter into multiple events, including the high jump and shot put. Fellow bronze medal winner Jenna Wesley will participate in the 800-meter run for UAB.
After placing four in the top six finishers in the mile run at the Battle of I-65 at Samford, UAB will enter three from its distance unit in the 1,500-meter run. Lucy Crookes finished second in the mile run last weekend to notch her fifth first or second-place finish between the indoor and outdoor seasons.
The distance runners will also be competing in the distance medley relay, entering Crookes, Lauren Scott and freshmen Lauren Capone and Rebecca Evans.
UAB also received multiple top-five finishes in the sprint events last weekend, and will enter the foursome of Ransaw, Shelbi White, Autumnn Burnett and Kandiss Briggs into the 4x100-meter relay.
Jessica Shelley set a personal best in the 100-meter hurdles last week, and will look to build upon it with an entry in the event at the Alabama Relays. UAB will also have Ransaw and Burnett entered in the event.
"Developmentally, this will be good for us," Thomas said."We had some good things happen last week at Samford, and we're looking to build on them in Tuscaloosa. Our hurdlers can be a strong point for us, as well as our distance athletes, so we're looking forward to letting them compete."
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