ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) – With a successful regular season in the books, the UCF track and field team heads to Houston, Texas to compete in the Conference USA Indoor Championships on Friday and Saturday. The event will be held at Yeoman Fieldhouse and hosted by the University of Houston. The Knights will look to improve on an eighth-place finish from a season ago and post the program’s highest finish in the conference championships.
Head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert’s team has broken eight school records during the 2009 indoor season as well as five freshman records. A group of UCF newcomers has had an impressive impact on the program. Freshmen Sheila Paul and Jackie Coward both have set two freshman records and broken a school record, junior transfer Tiki James has set two school records while fellow junior transfer Kelsey Poljansek shattered the school record in the shot put.
In addition, James and Coward each have posted NCAA provisional qualifying marks in both the 55- and 60-meter hurdles. The pair shares the record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.25, which is tied for the second-best time in C-USA this season.
Last season, current sophomore Lizzie Harris became the first UCF athlete to claim a C-USA Indoor individual event championship, winning the high jump. In 2009, her top high jump effort of 1.76 meters is the second best mark in the league.
Live results can be accessed both Friday and Saturday at http://flashresults.com/flashtexas/cusaindoor09/ and a recap of each day’s action will be available on UCFAthletics.com.
Below is a list of Knights who have posted times or marks among the top five in C-USA in 2009:
LaKendra Thames – weight throw, 17.57m, second
Lizzie Harris – high jump, 1.76m, second
Dione Thomas – triple jump, 12.56m, second
Dione Thomas – long jump, 5.86m, third
Shantile Blackburn – 800m, 2:09.13, second
Sheila Paul – 200m, 24.22, second
Sheila Paul – 60m, 7.49, third
Tiki James – 60mH, 8.25, tied for second
Jackie Coward – 60mH, 8.25, tied for second
Jackie Coward – 200m, 24.39, fifth
Aisha-Maree Frazier – 400m, 55.67, fifth
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