In its third outdoor meet of the season, the women’s track and field team set three regional-qualifying records Saturday at the UTEP Invitational in El Paso.
Junior Seun Adigun, the 2007 Conference USA Indoor Champion in the 60-meter hurdles, led the way with a second place finish of 13.62 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, the second fastest this season in C-USA.
"I feel pleased with the personal record, but hardly satisfied with the time," she said. "I know I still have a lot more left in me as far as improvement is concerned."
Because she had a false start in the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships, the hurdler wants to have a good outdoor season.
"As far as times, I want to run at least 12.96 seconds in the 100 hurdles, because that is the standard to compete at the Olympics. I am really looking to redeem myself for false-starting at indoor nationals."
The Cougar 4×100 meter relay team also set a regional qualifying time by finishing the race in 45.43 seconds, which earned them a third place finish. Adigun is also a part of this relay and has high hopes for them.
"My goals for our 4×100 team…is to run 44.5 or better so that we can compete for a NCAA All-American title," she said.
Freshman Quin’shundolyn McPherson rounded out the regional qualifying times with a 23.90 finish in the women’s 200-meter dash, the fourth fastest in C-USA.
The men’s track team was not to be outdone. Ed Turner, C-USA Male Freshman of the year, led the way in the men’s high jump with his leap of 7.14 meters (23 feet, 5.25 inches) as he and fellow jumpers sophomore Wesley Bray (7.10 meters), junior Grant Hightower (6.98 meters) and freshman Thomas Lang (6.97 meters) claimed second to fifth place finishes.
Sophomore Steven Jones won the 110-meter hurdles with a 14.50 second finish and freshman Thomas Lang notched a first place finish in the men’s triple jump with a season-best jump of 14.92 meters (48 feet, 11.5 inches). Sophomore Alex Bentley won the pole vault with a clearance of 4.90 meters (16 feet, .75 inches) and sophomore sprinter Justin Davis turned in a second place finish in the 400-meter dash in 47.59 seconds.
The Cougars will host the Tom Tellez Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the Carl Lewis International
Complex.
