Women off to good start with second-place finish
Despite an abbreviated practice schedule before the meet and a depleted squad of competitors, the women's track team earned a second-place finish last Friday in their season-opening meet, the Leonard Hilton Invitational held at Yeoman Fieldhouse at the University of Houston. Rice's 80.5 points pushed the team a half-point ahead of third-place Houston and behind top-finisher University of Texas, who earned 177 points.Rice's accomplishment is especially impressive considering that Texas and Houston had both had squads in practice for more than a week before the event, while the Owls had just three days of full-squad practice. Additionally, the Owls were without five returners due to a variety of health issues: junior thrower Brittany Brown, junior middle-distance runner Keltie John, sophomore distance runner Halsey Fowler, freshman sprint-hurdler Michelle Young and senior jumper and hurdler Alex Gibbs.
Despite these disadvantages, the Owls still had a strong showing at their first meet of the season. Senior thrower Tina Robinson led the Owls, finishing first in the weight throw at 52 feet, 2.5 inches.
Head Coach Jim Bevan was particularly impressed by Robinson's season-opening performance.
"Tina's way ahead of where she was last year," Bevan said. "She's not quite at her lifetime best, but she's knocking at the door on her first time out."
Knowing where she was fitness-wise, Robinson said she was not surprised by her performance.
"I did expect to do that well because, after what I have been in doing practice everyday, I was about where I was last year," Robinson said. "I was just afraid that it might not happen because of nerves.
"I think the team is doing well; we do have some places to fill," Robinson said. "I think people are stepping up. As for throwers, we're doing better this year than we have in years past, and I think we're going to do really well for the team."
Tina was not the only Robinson to impress, as her younger sister Sharae finished 7th in the weight throw with 47' 4.5".
Field events were not the only strength for the Owls on Friday. Sophomore Heather Olson was the first collegiate finisher in the 800-meter run, finishing in 2:15.41 for second place overall. Olson's mark was faster than any of her indoor times last season. Junior Sophie Peeters also impressed, placing fourth behind Olson in 2:16.87.
In the mile run, senior Allison Pye placed sixth overall in 5:01.10, only one second off her lifetime best mark. Freshman Meredith Gamble also scored for the Owls in the mile, placing ninth in 5:11.61.
In the 5,000-meter run, sophomore Johanna Ohm placed second overall in 18:13, and newcomer Lindsay Miller finished fourth in 18:37. It was Miller's first-ever indoor meet.
With the graduation of Shakera Reece (Will Rice '10), Rice's record-setting female sprinter, one might have expected there to be a paucity of talent in sprints for the Owls in 2011. However, true freshman Simone Martin impressed by placing second overall in the 200-meter dash in 25.51.
According to Bevan, her performance is all the more impressive due to specific adjustments she has had to make.
"She's not used to running on a flat 200 track; she's used to running on a banked track," Bevan said. "This was her first time on a banked track. When you put force on a banked 200-track, you put force on the ground, and the track gives it back. When you run on a flat 200-track, you're fighting centripetal force."
Senior Ari Ince, typically a pole vaulter for the Owls, took a step outside her comfort zone and participated in the 400-meter leg of Rice's distance medley relay. Ince's performance, along those of Gamble, sophomore Sarah Mason and Pye, helped Rice earn six points with a third-place finish in 12:23.49.
Though Ince did not score in the pole vault, Bevan is not concerned with her progress.
"Ari is doing wonderful in terms of where she's at," Bevan said. "Ari's been vaulting at higher levels in practice than she's ever been vaulting at."
Even without Ince, the Owls grabbed points from the pole vault, thanks to junior Cleona Oliver's sixth-place finish at a height of 11' 7.75".
On the whole, Bevan found his team's performance extremely satisfactory.
"The meet was going to be a higher quality practice regimen," Bevan said. "We got started, and we're still not 100 percent healthy, but we're getting there and so far so good."
Rice will next compete at the Houston Invitational held again at Yeoman Fieldhouse at Houston on Jan. 28.
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