Women's track takes first win of the season
Despite their first-place finish at last weekend's Leonard Hilton Memorial, the women's track team still has plans for improvement across all events.For now, though, Head Coach Jim Bevan said the team achieved its goal of discovering where everyone on the team stood heading into the season.
"The idea was to get started, find out where we're at and enjoy competing, and I think we did that," Bevan said.
In the season's opening meet, Rice finished atop the other competition with 127 points, ahead of second-place University of Houston (99 points) and the University of Texas (84.50 points). Even though Texas did not bring a full squad, the Owls were still happy to get a win in their first meet, according to sophomore Keltie John.
"We were all really excited, since it was the first meet of the season," John said. "It was not a huge meet compared to other meets and there wasn't a ton of competition there, but everyone did really well compared to how we started off the season last year. It was great to see the freshmen doing really well, too."
Bevan believes that though the team is hoping to improve, they are not worried heading into the season.
"Between having four days of school and then competing and not having a track, [which was being refurbished in the fall] we are technically behind, but our general fitness is very, very good and our general training is very, very good," Bevan said. "There's a lot of returners who have experience so I'm very pleased with where we're at, but I'm also aware that we've got to grow a lot."
Bevan concurred with John, noting that those who had performed at last year's Leonard Hilton Memorial put forth a better showing this time around. One such veteran, by no coincidence of opinion, was John, who led four out of five top Rice finishers in the 800-meter run, which included sophomore Sophie Peeters in third, senior Vicki Walker in fourth and senior Claire Shorall in fifth. John's performance was especially impressive as she had battled calf problems throughout the fall.
John attributed her early-season success to Bevan's training methods.
"Jim did a great job of training us," John said. "He's always giving the best advice for whether you're training on your own [or not]. In the end it always surprises me because I really didn't expect to be at that point already."
The Owls also succeeded in the mile run, with senior Britany Williams leading Rice finishers in second place with a tme of 4:56.07 behind Rice graduate Lennie Waite (Brown '08), who ran unattached and finished first overall. Sophomore Marie Thompson placed fourth, Shorall fifth and freshman Heather Olson eighth with a time of 5:10.16, her fastest start in the mile ever.
Olson was just one of several freshmen who started their collegiate track and field careers on a high note.
Junior Ari Ince, last season's Conference USA pole vault champion, placed third. Bevan said he believes that her place does not correlate with her level of preparedness going into the season.
"Overall, Ari is ahead of last year," Bevan said. "She didn't have the first meet that she did last year but she is a much better athlete and is a much better vaulter than she was one year ago."
The distance medley relay was another bright spot for the Owls, as Thompson joined fellow freshman Adie Quinn, sophomore Maya Kirk and sophomore Halsey Fowler to finish first in 12:41.43.
Unfortunately, two freshmen were unable to compete. Lilian Nwora was at Impact Rice, a leadership retreat for freshmen and sophomores, and Sojourner Brown sat on the sidelines, still battling significant injuries.
However, Bevan expects the team to have full freshman representation at the next meet, the Houston Indoor Opener at Yeoman Fieldhouse at the University of Houston next Friday and Saturday. The meet will boast 19 teams in attendance, most notably C-USA rivals Southern Miss and Houston as well as University of Texas-San Antonio. The meet will feature the pentathlon, an event that will allow Rice to enter senior Britney Blodget, senior Shannon Moran and junior Bridget Ugoh.
The theme of constant improvement will still be there, but Bevan noted that another goal will also drive the team: winning.
"We hope to be 100 percent healthy and we hope to be improving person for person across the line and take the strides we need to take our title," he said.
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