University of Tennessee Athletics
Quartet of Lady Vols Excel at Tennessee Indoor Classic
February 16, 2001 | Women's Track
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Senior Erica Tittsworth won the long jump, junior Diane Slinden notched a pair of second-place finishes in the throws, senior Rashida Dodson claimed runner-up honors in the 55m dash and sophomore Mandy Bergey supplied a blue-ribbon effort in the pole vault to top the Lady Vol tote board at the Tennessee Indoor Classic Friday night at Stokely Athletics Center.
A product of Racine, Wis., Tittsworth's longest jump of the competition was 18-8/5.69m and was good enough to snare the first victory of her two-year stint in Big Orange Country. Her mark was nearly a foot better than that of her nearest competitor.
Slinden, from Menomonie, Wis., was the top collegiate competitor in the women's shot put, tallying a best throw of 45-3.50/13.80m. The toss, her third best of the year, placed her behind UT volunteer assistant coach Aretha Hill, who won the event at 47-8.50/14.54m. Freshmen multi-eventers-in-training Lindsay Eck (Beloit, Kan.) and Christina Clark (Madison, Wis.) registered top throws of 34-5.75/10.51m and 29-8.75/9.06m to place 14th and 23rd, respectively,
Earlier in the afternoon, Slinden began the meet with a runner-up effort in the weight throw. Her measurement of 51-4.50/15.66m was a season best and ranked as the third best ever by a Lady Volunteer. Teammate Sonya Bell (Charlotte, N.C.) also competed but did not record a fair throw.
Dodson, from Indianapolis, Ind., turned in a second-place performance by clocking a reading of 7.10 in the 55m dash finals. She advanced to the championship race with a season-best 7.08 in winning her section of the prelims. Appalachian State's Shonte' Pinkston took top honors and charted the event's fastest time, cruising to identical paces of 6.97 in the finals as well as the qualifying round. UT's Keena Brooks (Temple Hill, Md.) logged a 7.83 time in the prelims but did not advance.
Bergey, meanwhile, sailed over 11-8.50/3.57m to wind up second, just ahead of classmate Christie Elwin (Adelaide, Australia) by virtue of fewer misses. Bergey, from Hillsboro, Ore., matched the second best clearance of her career. Her PR is 12-1.25/3.69m.
As a 55m hurdler Eck turned in her best day as a collegian, making the finals in a personal best 8.35 and finishing fifth overall with an 8.39 trip down the track in the title race. She surpassed her previous college topper of 8.80.
In the high jump, freshman Kelly Flowers (Westerville, Ohio) was eighth at 5-2.50/1.59m, while Eck and Clark both no-heighted in their first attempts at that event in college. The clearance for Flowers was her first since a 5-0.25/1.53m jump at the SEC Quad on Jan. 20.
Next up for the Lady Vols, a trip up Interstate 75 to Lexington, Ky., for the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships on Feb. 24-25.
LADY VOLUNTEER RESULTS
LADY VOLUNTEER COMPETITORSTennessee Indoor Classic - Knoxville, Tenn.Feb. 16, 2001EVENT (NCAA QUALIFYING MARKS)Wt. Throw (Auto: 19.50, Prov: 17.70)2nd Diane Slinden 51-4.50/15.66mNM Sonya Bell High Jump (Auto: 1.86, Prov: 1.77)8th Kelly Flowers 5-2.50/1.59mNH Christina ClarkNH Lindsay EckPole Vault (Auto: 4.10, Prov: 3.80)2nd Mandy Bergey 11-8.50/3.57m3rd Christie Elwin 11-8.50/3.57mShot Put (Auto: 16.10, Prov: 14.90)2nd Diane Slinden 45-3.50/13.80m14th Lindsay Eck 34-5.75/10.51m!23rd Christina Clark 29-8.75/9.06m!Long Jump (Auto: 6.38, Prov: 6.10)1st Erica Tittsworth 5.69m/18-855m Pre./Fin. (Auto: 6.80, Prov: 6.94)2nd Rashida Dodson 7.10 7.08pdnq Keena Brooks 7.83p55mH Pre./Fin. (Auto: 7.64, Prov: 7.90)5th Lindsay Eck 8.39 8.35!pKEYb - Banked Track Qualifying Standarddnc - Did Not Competednq - Did Not Qualifydnr - Did Not Run In Finalsf - Facility Recordh - Hand Timesnh - No Height Clearednm - No marked measuredp - Prelims* - NCAA Automatic Qualifier+ - NCAA Provisional Qualifier ! - Personal Record (Indoors)^ - Oversized Track Qualifying Standardsr - School Record (Indoors)u - Undersized Track Qualifying Standard
