University of Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vol Track Team Posts Successful Outings at Two Meets
March 31, 2001 | Women's Track
Slinden Posts NCAA Automatic Qualifying Mark In Discus
RALEIGH, N.C. - Junior Diane Slinden earned the NCAA automatic qualifying mark in the discus to pace the University of Tennessee women's track and field team at a pair of meets on Saturday. Slinden competed at the UC-San Diego Invitational in LaJolla, Calif., while the remainder of the team competed for the second day at the adidas Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C.
Slinden (Menomonie, Wis.) recorded a throw of 182-3/55.56m to finish as the top collegian in the field in California. Her measurement was good for sixth overall and betters her previous personal record by more than three meters. Slinden is also the first Lady Vol to automatically qualify for the 2001 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Her mark is the fourth-best discus throw in Tennessee history and the best since Alana Preston's throw of 180-09/55.10m on June 3, 1995. Volunteer assistant coach Aretha Hill, who set the collegiate record in a previous appearance at the UCSD track, finished third overall with a throw of 200-09/61.18m.
While Slinden was competing in California, the Lady Vols also earned several strong performances at the adidas Raleigh Relays where sophomore Mandy Bergey tied for third in the pole vault with a mark of 11-5.75/3.50m, which is just off of her personal best outdoors. Volunteer assistant track coach Maureen Ferris set a lifetime best while competing as unattached during the meet. She won the 1,500m invitational section with a time of 4:21.65 while also finishing 10th in the 800m invitational race with a clocking of 2:14.38.
Also competing for the Lady Vols were the 4x100m relay and a pair of distance runners. Sophomore Rebecca Collins (Loveland, Ohio) finished 17th in the first section of the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 12:51.71 to establish a personal record as well as a Tennessee record as Collins is the first Lady Vol to run the steeplechase in its inaugural season for women in NCAA competition. Freshman Renn Watkins saw her first action of the season on Saturday as she competed in the 1,500m. Watkins missed the entire indoor campaign while recovering from mono and made her debut on the track near her hometown of Wake Forest, N.C. She ran a time of 5:04.00 to finish 86th of 113 competitors in the 1,500m. The 4x100m relay team of Erica Tittsworth, Aoife Hearne, Samantha Coulson and Kelly Flowers competed together for the first time this season and recorded a time of 48.30 to finish 20th.
Tennessee will next be in action on April 4-7 when some members of the team will travel to Austin, Texas, for the prestigious Texas Relays. The remainder of the squad will stay closer to home and compete at the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Atlanta on April 7.
LADY VOLUNTEER RESULTS
LADY VOLUNTEER COMPETITORSAdidas Raleigh Relays - Raleigh, N.C.March 30-31, 2001UC San Diego Spring Break Open - LaJolla, Calif.March. 31, 2001 RESULTS FOR MARCH 30 AT RALEIGHEVENT (NCAA QUALIFYING MARKS)High Jump (Auto: 1.85, Prov: 1.79)Nh Kelly Flowers Long Jump (Auto: 6.50, Prov: 6.20)14th Erica Tittsworth 18-5/5.61m100m Pre. (Auto: 11.30; Prov: 11.55)39th Aoife Hearne 12.6480th Keena Brooks 13.35Discus (Auto: 54.50; Prov: 50.50)38th Sonya Bell 92-1/28.06m400mH (Auto: 57.50; Prov: 59.20)66th. Amber Ayub 1:11.755000m (Auto: 16:13.00; Prov: 16:48.00)Jessica Southers 17:59.40 !10,000m (Auto: 34:10.00; Prov: 35:15.00)5th Erika van Reenen 35:10.04 !RESULTS FOR MARCH 31 AT RALEIGHEVENT (NCAA QUALIFYING MARKS)3000m Steeplechase (Auto: 10:20.00; Prov: 11:10.00)17th Rebecca Collins 12:51.71Pole Vault (Auto: 4.10; Prov: 3.80)t3rd Mandy Bergey 3.50/11-5.751500m (Auto: 4:19.00; Prov: 4:24.00)1st Maureen Ferris (Vol. Asst.) 4:12.65 !86th Renn Watkins 5:04.004x100mR (Auto: 44.20; Prov: 45.10)20th Erica Tittsworth, Aoife Hearne, 48.30 Samantha Coulson, Kelly Flowers800m Invitational10th Maureen Ferris (Vol. Asst.) 2:14.38RESULTS FOR MARCH 31 AT UCSDEVENT (NCAA QUALIFYING MARKS)Discus (Auto: 54.50; Prov: 50.50) 3rd Aretha Hill (Vol. Asst.) 200-06/61.18m6th Diane Slinden 182-03/55.56m *!
KEY
f - Facility Recordh - Hand Timesnh - No Height Clearednm - No Mark Recordedp - Prelims* - NCAA Automatic Qualifier+ - NCAA Provisional Qualifier! - Personal Record (Outdoors)sr - School Record (Outdoors)w - Wind-aided time
