Texas takes first place
By Tom Carpenter
Daily Cougar Staff
Texas has demonstrated why it sits atop the track
and field standings and the rest of the nation chokes on its dust.
The No. 1 nationally ranked Lady Longhorns and
their male counterparts both claimed first place team standings in the
Southwest Indoor Classic, held Friday and Saturday in the Yeoman Fieldhouse
in the UH Alumni/Athletic Center. The Cougar women's and men's teams finished
seventh and sixth respectively.
Lady Longhorn head coach Beverly Kearney was satisfied
with her team's effort.
"We made some mistakes, and we were lucky to pull
this victory out," Kearney said. "It's early in the season, but we're right
where we want to be."
Assistant track and field coach Kyle Tellez substituted
for head coach Leroy Burrell to guide the Cougars on Saturday. Burrell
was attending the funeral of former Cougar and 1994 NCAA 100-meter champ
Sam Jefferson in Waco.
"Texas keeps coming at you in waves," Tellez said.
Pin Lim/The Daily Cougar
Senior high jumper and Conference
USA champion Jeff Mueller took first in his event in the Southwest Indoor
Classic, held Friday and Saturday in Yeoman Field House.
For the Cougar women, Jenny Adams leaped past
the competition with her first attempt to soar to victory in the long jump.
Adams' leap of 20 feet, 8.5 inches in her specialty was the Lady Cougars'
lone first place finish.
"That's not bad for her first meet this year,"
Tellez said. "She's been sick, too, so we were kind of questioning whether
she would jump, but she wanted to go. It was a good opener for her. The
next meet she should jump really well."
Freshman Jasmin Jackson and sophomore Tara Conley
leaped 18-05 and 17-03 respectively to finish sixth and 10th in the long
jump.
In other competition, sophomore Julie Perez scored
points for the Lady Cougars with a fifth-place finish in the mile run.
Perez ran a respectable five minutes and 25 seconds. Freshman Allie Mascorro
ran a 5:26.89 mile and just missed scoring for the Lady Cougars with a
seventh-place finish.
Sophomore Heather Howse scored points with a fourth-place
finish in the 3,000 meter race with a time of 18:27.88.
Sophomore Lauren Smith sped to a time of 8.59
seconds, flashing into fourth place in the 60-meter high hurdles as her
classmate, sophomore Shelley Keys, finished sixth with a time of 8.71.
The women continue to make Tellez's prediction
of quantum leaps in the women's pole vault come true. Tellez said last
season that he expected to see dramatic improvement in women's pole vault
over the next few years.
All-American Rhian Clarke failed to qualify in
the pole vault while Alicia Warlick, competing unattached, established
a Yeoman Fieldhouse record with a vault of 14-1.25.
Sophomore Kim Stallman came in third with a vault
of 11-5.75. Freshman Jessica Edwards captured a surprising fourth place
when she vaulted 10-8 in one of track and field's most entertaining events.
"It was a bittersweet day in the pole vault. Rhian
didn't do well, but Kim set a personal record," Tellez said.
Sophomore Briana Bassler leaped 5-4 1/2 in the
high jump to capture fifth place.
Sophomore Delilah Battle heaved the shot 40-6.75,
good for seventh place in the shot put.
Senior Vanessa Zavaletta hurled the 20-lb weight
49-11.25 to win third place in the women's weight throw to conclude the
scoring for the Lady Cougars.
Competing for the Cougar men, Conference USA defending
champion senior Jeff Mueller captured the men's high jump with a leap of
7-0.25. Mueller had been nursing a nagging injury until this week.
"Jeff is ready to go. He's been struggling a little
bit with his rhythm," Tellez said, "But today was a step in the right direction."
Teammates Nick Decker and Jorge Rodriguez leaped
6-8.25 and 6-2.25 respectively to finish in fourth and 10th in the high
jump.
All-American sophomore Robert Foster ran a 6.87
in the 60-meter dash to capture fourth place. Freshman Juan Cardenas continues
to impress fans in the mile run. Cardenas ripped off a 4:20.96 to finish
third in this classic event.
Junior All-Conference USA distance runner Mike
Olague ran a 15:34.11 in the 5,000 meters to capture fifth place for the
Cougars. Junior Arman Hoyle blazed to a third-place finish in the 200 meter
with a time of 22.68 to conclude the Cougars' scoring.
