UH's Baker has strong showing at Rice track meet

by Jesse W. Coleman

Daily Cougar Staff

A Cougars middle-distance runner took second as the Houston women's track and field team got a glimpse of some of its Southwest Conference competition.

Senior Sherrell Baker finished with a time of 2 minutes, 13.09 seconds, behind only Rice's Shaquandra Roberson, 2:10.18, in the 800 meters run Saturday in the Bayou Classic at Rice Track Stadium.

"I am more confident; I feel like I am competing," Baker said about her second-place finish and her string of successes.

Baker emerged from the pack mid-way through the first lap of the two-lap race to lead all but the last 200 meters of the race before being overtaken by the Rice freshman.

Houston coach Tom Tellez said Baker is focused and she is learning more how to run the race.

"She's in better shape right now," Tellez said. "She has better speed than she's ever had."

Said Baker about her finish, "I am placing higher than I have placed in previous seasons."

Baker had the best time in the SWC outdoor 800 meters going into the weekend with a time of 2:11.96 with which she won the Carl Lewis Relays.

Her time has improved throughout her career. Last season, she finished second in the Carl Lewis Relays and sixth in the conference championships, in which she hopes to improve.

She has been satisfied with this season, she said, because her time is more consistent than in the past, but she has been hampered by injuries.

Even with the consistency of Baker, the Cougars still were bothered by the lack of a full line-up as they faced conference foe Texas, who won the meet with 128 points; Texas A&M; and Rice.

Former SWC member Arkansas, now in the South Eastern Conference; Harvard; and several other Texas universities participated in the meet.

The Longhorns demonstrated the speed of their sprint team, winning the 4x100 relay, the 100- and 200-meter dashes, along with taking second in the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter run.

The Cougars scored 30 team points in the meet, with freshman heptathlete Denise Darre placing third in the javelin throw with a distance of 119 feet, 5 inches, and senior distance runner Cyndi Espinoza won her heat in the finals, but failed to finish in the top three.

"I am a little disappointed," Espinoza said about her finish in the event. "I have run a lot better, but it was probably the best I ran all season."

Espinoza had the sixth-best in the conference going into the weekend with a time of 4 minutes, 49.20 seconds, which she improved to 4:41.8.

The Houston 4x100 relay team finished fifth in the final with a time of 47. 08 seconds, while not running the 4x400 relay.