Women's 2009 Track & Field Preview
Junior distance runner Britany Williams pushes to the finish at last season's University of Houston Indoor Invitational.
The women's track and field team has built an expectation for excellence with winning performances over the past two seasons. With four conference championships, as well as a host of national qualifiers and scorers, these runners, jumpers, vaulters and throwers want only to continue their successes this year. The quest for repeat championships begins this Friday at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitational held at the Yeoman Fieldhouse on the University of Houston campus. The meet will feature varied competition for the Owls, including No. 1-ranked Texas A&M University. Other competition will include the University of Texas, host school University of Houston, McNeese State University, University of Texas-San Antonio, Sam Houston State University, Stephen F. Austin University, Texas State University and Lamar University.
While the Owls certainly aim to win the meet, the team will be happy enough to just to begin competition, according to head coach Jim Bevan.
"It'll be a nice start because we've got a lot of people," Bevan said. "[For] all but the cross country girls, it's been eight months since they competed last. I think they're dying to get started."
Junior distance runner Nicole Mericle concurs with Bevan, referencing that anticipation of the non-distance runners.
"For the cross country runners, we've already been through cross country so this is just like our second season coming up," she said. "For track runners, they've been training the whole half a year. I know they're probably a little more eager to start racing. ... A few of the freshmen who didn't compete in cross country are nervous because it's been such a build up to racing."
Before the team can start their journey to repeat success, however, they will have to find replacements for the seniors who departed after last season. Marissa Daniels (Jones '08), who placed 21st in the 10,000 meters at last year's national race, was an All-American distance runner for the Owls. Rachel Greff (Hanszen '08) also left a large hole in the squad when she left as an All-American pole-vaulter who placed fifth at NCAA nationals last June. The team will also miss the leadership of sprinters Desarie Walwyn and Chandra Ewing with that of hurdler and jumper Lacee Carmon.
Bevan believes that despite the loss of their leadership, other team members can step up and fill those holes.
"We have lost some great performers and we lost some great leaders, but we hope to have new leadership, and we hope to have new great performers," Bevan said. "I think we do have good leadership and a group that is more mature and an incoming group of freshmen who can fill the voids of those that graduated last year."
Hopefully, the talented group of new team members can help relieve some of the stress from the departure of the senior class. The team adds sprinter and hurdler Lucie Cincinatis from Belgium and sprinter Maya Kirk from Austin. Also hurdling for the Owls will be Kimberly Stanford, a transfer from Iowa. In field events, thrower Brittany Brown from Hooper, Colo., jumper and pole vaulter Kiri-Rose Kendall from New Zealand will be new to the Owls. Additionally, the freshmen members of the cross country squad will join the team as distance runners.
The onus will not be entirely on the new athletes to aid the team in dealing with the departure of senior members, thanks to the several returning contributors to the squad. Specifically, Rice returns three members of its national-qualifying 400m relay squad in juniors Shakera Reece, Sarah Lyons and Brittany Washington.
Bevan knows these three can help lead the squad with their experiences.
"They're all three veterans now and very talented," he said. "They've all run at the national meet. There's some maturity and leadership in that group."
Sophomore Becky Wade, Rice's other national-qualifier along with Daniels in the 10,000 m race, will return to competition after an injury-plagued cross country season in the fall. Other key distance runners, including Mericle, senior Lennie Waite, junior Britany Williams and sophomore Allison Pye are also returning. All five of this corps ran in December's national cross country meet and will bring that high-pressure experience to the track and field arena.
On the field side of the sport, several competitors will be returning to action after an eight-month respite since the conclusion of last season. Sophomore pole vaulter Ari Ince returns hoping to improve on her last season's accomplishments, when she placed first at Outdoor Regionals. Junior Katie Dollinger and sophomore Tina Robinson will represent the Owls in the throwing events, while Junior Shannon Moran, senior Jenny Glover and sophomore Sarah Agara will make up the jumping core.
Most importantly, Bevan hopes for an equal attack across disciplines and events.
"We seek to be a well-balanced team once again with quality in all of the different disciplines: sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws and distances," Bevan said. "We've got ammunition in all areas. Competition is like a battle and our ammunition can hit you from all different areas."
Rice will need a balanced group of athletes to overpower its strong competition within Conference USA. The University of Texas-El Paso, which placed second behind Rice at both the C-USA Indoor and Outdoor Championships last season, returns the majority of its 2008 squad. The University of Central Florida, third-place finishers at the C-USA Outdoor Championship last year, will also pose a sizable threat to the Owls in 2009. Finally, the University of Houston historically produces a strong track and field team and this year should be no different.
Luckily, most of Rice's team members are healthy to start the season. Senior Naquanza Alfred is the main injured member. After suffering a torn labrum in her shoulder, Alfred underwent surgery last spring. She is still trying to recuperate so that she can compete this season. Otherwise, the squad is generally in good health.
Armed with a bevy of strong recruits, several returning veterans and an overall injury-free squad, Bevan and the team see this season as an opportunity for them to prove their mettle and to continue their winning ways.
"Atmosphere on our team is one of high expectations, and we have risen to the expectations over the last couple of years at championship meets," Bevan said. "It's not about the win-loss record but being your best on the day you're supposed to be your best. We have an [indoor] championship meet at the end of February and that's what we're gearing all our training toward.
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