University of Tennessee Athletics
UT'S SLINDEN BREAKS SCHOOL, STOKELY RECORDS
February 15, 2002 | Women's Track
Feb. 15, 2002
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
The University of Tennessee women's track and field team got what it wanted out of Friday night's Tennessee Indoor Invitational. The Lady Vols tuned up for next weekend's Southeastern Conference Championships by winning three of the five events they entered, setting a Stokely Athletics Center record and a school record in the weight throw and adding an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 55m dash.
Lady Vol senior Diane Slinden (Menomonie, Wis.) continued her great improvement in the weight throw, unleashing a heave of 56-0 to win the competition, improve her week-old school record and break the Stokely women's mark. Her effort topped her previous UT best of 55-0, set last Saturday at the Virginia Tech Challenge, and eclipsed the old Stokely standard of 53-5.75, notched by Western Carolina's Valerie Metz on Feb. 18, 2000.
Slinden came back later in the evening to win the shot put, registering a best throw of 45-7.25. Sophomore Janine Tessarzik (Altamont, N.Y.) managed a toss of 41-6 to garner fourth, while freshman Lindsey McFarland (Austin, Texas) was ninth at 38-7.50.
In the sprints, Tennessee went one-two out of a group of 33 competitors in the 55m dash with freshman Karla Marshall (Detroit, Mich.) capturing top honors in a career-best and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 6.94. Senior Aoife Hearne was right behind her in second at 7.12. The duo also posted the top two times in the prelims, finishing in 7.03 and 7.16, respectively.
Marshall's mark, when converted to a 60m time (the 60m is run at NCAAs), would equal 7.44, matching that of fellow UT rookie Toyin Olupona (Orillia, Canada). She also became the sixth Lady Vol to make the provisional list, joining Olupona (60m dash), freshman Dee Dee Trotter (200m and 400m), freshman Nicole Cook and junior Kameisha Bennett (800m) and junior Christie Elwin (pole vault). UT's 4x400m relay combination of freshman Antoinette Gorham, Trotter, Bennett and Cook is also qualified provisionally for the national meet, which will be held March 8-9 in Fayetteville, Ark.
"This meet served its purpose, because it brought confidence to those who competed and prepared them for next weekend" UT Head Coach Myrtle Ferguson said. "Diane continues to improve and has really figured things out the past few weeks. The great thing is, she knows there is more left in her.
"As for Karla, from the beginning of the season, I expected her to dip into the 7.40s (converted). We just didn't know when it would happen. The fact that it occurred tonight will only serve to confirm to her that she can compete at the SEC level as she heads to Fayetteville next weekend."
In the pole vault, senior Christie Elwin (Adelaide, Australia) cleared a height other than the 12-5.50 she has been stuck on this season. After booking clearances at that elevation in four previous meets in 2002, Elwin had to settle for a measurement of 12-3.50 Friday night, placing second. She had hoped to make it over 12-9.50 and improve her NCAA provisional qualifying status, but it was not to be. Former Lady Vol Tracy Carrington, however, was able to clear that height, claim the victory and tie her Stokely record in the process. The Big Orange also had junior Mandy Bergey (Hillsboro, Ore.) in seventh at 10-10 and freshman Kendra Rhyne (Andersonville, Tenn.) in eighth at 10-4.
In the high jump, sophomore Kelly Flowers (Westerville, Ohio) took fifth with a jump of 5-1, while sophomore Denita Miller (Liberal, Kan.) made her indoor debut with a tie for ninth place at 4-11. Miller, who was an All-American in the javelin as a freshman had not high jumped inside at UT but did have one appearance outdoors in 2001, clearing 5-3.
| EVENT (NCAA QUALIFYING MARKS) | ||
| Wt. Throw (Auto: 19.50, Prov: 17.70) 12:30 p.m. | ||
| 1st | Diane Slinden | 56-0/17.07m!srf |
| 4th | Janine Tessarzik | 49-9.25/15.17m! |
| nm | Lindsey McFarland | (Fouls) |
| High Jump (Auto: 1.83, Prov: 1.77) 2:45 p.m. | ||
| t5th | Kelly Flowers | 5-1/1.55m |
| t9th | Denita Miller | 4-11/1.50m! |
| Pole Vault (Auto: 4.10, Prov: 3.80) 3:00 p.m. | ||
| 2nd | Christie Elwin | 12-3.50/3.75m |
| 7th | Mandy Bergey | 10-10/3.30m |
| 8th | Kendra Rhyne | 10-4/3.15m |
| Shot Put (Auto: 16.10, Prov: 14.90) 3:25 p.m. | ||
| 1st | Diane Slinden | 45-7.25/13.90m |
| 4th | Janine Tessarzik | 41-6/12.65m |
| 9th | Lindsey McFarland | 38-7.50/11.77m |
| 55m Prelims (Auto: 6.80, Prov: 6.94) 5:00 p.m. | ||
| 7.03p! | Karla Marshall | Adv. to finals/1st, prelims |
| 7.16p | Aoife Hearne | Adv. to finals/2nd, prelims |
| 55m Finals (Auto: 6.80, Prov: 6.94) 5:40 p.m. | ||
| 1st | Karla Marshall | 6.94!+ |
| 2nd | Aoife Hearne | 7.12 |
KEY
b - Banked Track Qualifying Standard
dnr - Did Not Run
f - Facility Record
h - Hand Times
nh - No Height Cleared
nm - No Mark Recorded
p - Prelims
* - NCAA Automatic Qualifier
+ - NCAA Provisional Qualifier
! - Personal Record (Indoors)
^ - Oversized Track Qualifying Standard
sr - School Record (Indoors)
u - Undersized Track Qualifying Standard
