May 12, 2005
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - The UTA men's and women's track and field teams will look for their first team titles since 2001 when they compete at the Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships here Friday through Sunday.
The meet begins Friday with the multi-events, the hammer throw, javelin and the running of the 10,000 meters. Saturday is the finals in the long jump, high jump and shot put, the competition of the decathlon and heptathlon and the running event prelims. Sunday will be the finals for the triple jump, discus and pole vault and the running finals. For a complete scheduled of events go to www.southland.org.
"I am optimistic about our chances (at the conference meet," said UTA head track and field coach John Sauerhage, who has compiled 20 team championships and is a 17-time SLC `Coach of the Year' since 1996. "We have been working hard and we have some people who are ready to break out and make some noise in the conference meet. We have some quality people in all disciplines -- sprints, jumps, weight throws, distance and our relay teams should be able to compete for championships. I think we can compete and be a top three team in the meet. A little luck and we can win the whole thing."
Injuries have slowed each teams progress. For the men's team, weight thrower Kelley Jackson has missed more than a month with a strained foot and pole vaulter Shay Collett, an NCAA regional qualifier a year ago, has competed in just two meets this spring with a strained hamstring. Sophomore sprinter Jared Connaughton, hopes to return to all-conference form of his freshman year after being slowed by a leg injury this spring.
For the women's team, freshman distance runner Jodi Hulett, who earned all-SLC honors in both cross country and indoor track and field, will likely miss the event due to mononucleosis.
Nevertheless, UTA brings some quality athletes into the meet.
UTA junior Ivorita Taylor (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica) leads the conference in the 800 meters with a time of 2:12.52 she recorded at the UTA Open last weekend.
Senior distance runner Lisa Haglund is less than a second off the league's top 1,500-meter run time with a 4:36.22 she ran to win her heat of the Mt. Sac Relays in April.
The 4x100-meter relay team has the top time in the spring with a 45.71.
Sophomore Tiffanie Reeves has the second best mark in the shot put with a 47-05.75 she recorded at the UTA Open.
On the men's side, high jumper Michael Sychrava's leap of 6-09.75 is ranked second in the SLC behind 6-10.75 from McNeese State's Darrick Brown.
Freshman Quinchun Carey's NCAA region-qualifying leap of 25-00.50 is the second-best mark in the conference this spring. He trails defending champion Brian Veal of Texas State's leap of 25-06.
Jackson has the top hammer throw of 53.47 meters (175-feet, 05-inches).
Senior Jacob Cedertun has the third best time in the 800 meters with a 1:51.41 turned in at the UTA Invitational on April 2.
UTA won its last team title when the women won titles in 2000 and 2001. The last men's title was in 1997 that ended a run of three titles in four years.
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