The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Track and Field Travels to Raleigh Relays
3/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Raleigh Relays | Friday-Saturday, March 27-28, 2015
Paul Derr Track and Field Facility | Raleigh, N.C.
Meet Information: Schedule | Heat Sheets | UAB Outdoor Performances
Coverage: Live Results | Live Streaming | Twitter
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB track and field team will compete in its third outdoor meet of the 2015 season this weekend with a trip to Raleigh, N.C. for the Raleigh Relays.
Competition will take place over the course of Friday and Saturday at the Paul Derr Track and Field Facility at host NC State. UAB will open competition on Friday at 8:30 a.m. CT, as the Blazers compete in the 5,000-meter run.
"The Raleigh Relays is a great opportunity for our team to get the big meet feel and compete with that importance," UAB head coach Kurt Thomas said."The competition here is always good, so our ladies need to step up and perform. Our distance runners are looking to race some big 5k's tomorrow. Lauren Scott, Lucy Crookes, Rebecca Evans and Sarah Livett have been training really well, so now it's time to race."
Scott, Crookes, Evans and Livett will each be entering the 5,000-meter run for the first time in the 2015 outdoor season. Crookes posted UAB's best time in the 5k during the Blazers' 2015 indoor campaign, as she clocked a time of 17:09.71 at the Conference USA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Following top-10 finishes in the 100-meter hurdles at last weekend's Alabama Relays, Jessica Shelley and Autumnn Burnett will look to build upon their marks with entries into the same event on Friday.
Shelley has the top two times in the 100-meter hurdles among UAB athletes this outdoor season, including a first-place finish and personal-best time of 13.76 at the Battle of I-65 at Samford.
"We're looking for Jessica Shelley and Autumnn Burnett to run well in the 100-meter hurdles and make finals on Saturday, as the structure is similar to the conference championship setting," Thomas said.
Highlighting UAB competitors in field events is five Blazer entries into the jumps. Shelby Barker, Renay Ransaw and Kelli Smith will enter the long jump, while Kendra Gipson and Shanice Leach will make forays into the triple jump.
Ransaw leapt 5.71m (18-09) to finish tied for first in the long jump at the Battle of I-65, while Gipson posted a second-place finish and a personal-best mark of 12.11m (39-08 3/4) in the triple jump at the same meet.
"We're looking for the jumpers to have a good weekend," Thomas said. "Overall, we're looking to get better every meet, and the Raleigh Relays is a great opportunity to do that."
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account,@UABathletics. For an in-depth look into the UAB Track & Field program, follow @UAB_TrackXC on Twitter.
