LADY VOLS TRAVEL TO GAINESVILLE FOR GATOR INVITATIONAL

Jan. 20, 2006

Meet Notes
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The No. 1 ranked University of Tennessee women's track & field team hits the road for its first big meet of 2006, as Head Coach J.J. Clark leads his Lady Vols into battle Saturday at the Gator Invitational in Gainesville, Fla.

The meet, which will take place on the 200-meter flat track in the University of Florida's O'Connell Center, will provide UT an opportunity to face tough competition on a fast surface as well as preview the site of the 2006 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships. The league meet is scheduled to take place on Feb. 24-26.

As for the Gator Invite, the Big Orange women will be entered in nearly every event. Tennessee's highly-touted sprint corps, led by sophomores Cleo Tyson (Huntsville, Texas) and Courtney Champion (Lawrenceville, Ga.), should be among the top draws for the meet, as they are highly-respected in Trackwire's initial Dandy Dozen of the season. According to the D.D., Tyson is picked to win the 200 meters and take second in the 60m at the NCAA Indoor Championships, while Champion is projected to grab runner-up honors in the 200m and finish fourth in the 60m. They are entered in the 55 and 200 meters this weekend.

Other sprinters to watch on Saturday include sophomore LaTonya Loche (Bastrop, La.), who, at fifth, is the third Lady Vol predicted by Trackwire editor Gary Verigin to score in the 200m at the NCAA meet, and senior Patricia Hall (St. Ann, Jamaica), who is tabbed for an eighth-place national outing in the 400m. Loche is entered in 55, 200 and 400 meters, while Hall is in the 200 and 400 meters. A decision about which events they run in will be made on race day.

Members of the sprint group also will be considered by Tennessee's coaching staff for duty on the 4x400m relay, an event in which UT is picked to place third nationally. The Big Orange will most likely assemble multiple combinations on Saturday as the Lady Vols train through this meet.

In the distance area, standout freshman Sarah Bowman (Warrenton, Va.) is drawing early attention, as she is penciled in to place third in the mile run at the NCAA meet. The rookie is not expected to debut this weekend, but junior Felicia Guliford (Gallup, N.M.) and several others should be in action.

In 2005, Guliford tied Florida's Candice Scott for the SEC Commissioner's Trophy for scoring the most points (20) at the conference indoor meet. The UT distance ace pulled off a double, claiming titles in the 3000 and 5000 meters. She later went on to earn All-America acclaim at the national meet with the Lady Vol distance medley relay. That unit, which will aim for its third straight SEC title in 2006, is picked at No. 7 this week in the Trackwire Dandy Dozen. The lineup this weekend has not yet been determined.

Along with Guliford and Hall, senior Brooke Novak (Kaukauna, Wis.) and junior Mindy Sullivan (Lubbock, Texas) could also find themselves on the DMR. Novak was the SEC Indoor runner-up in the mile and was sixth outdoors in the 1500m in 2005 and was the league's indoor 3000m champ in 2004. Sullivan was fourth in the SEC mile a year ago and seventh in the 1500m. Both were part of UT's SEC champion DMRs in 2004 and 2005.

The throws group is powered by seniors Ariel Brooks (Miami, Fla.) and April Thomas (Albany, Ga.), who scored indoors and out at the conference level a year ago and earned tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Brooks is off to a great start in 2006, having broken the school record in the weight throw twice already this season, including an effort of 67 feet, 0.75 inches at the Virginia Tech Invitational last weekend. She is projected to place fifth in that event nationally.

Thomas, meanwhile, made her season debut at Virginia Tech and took third in the shot put at 49-1.75. Her performances in 2005 garnered her fifth place indoors (50-6) and third outdoors (51-9.75) at the SEC meets.

Senior Jessica Reust (Knoxville, Tenn.) is expected to once again lead the vault corps. The Farragut High School product was third at last year's SEC Indoor Championships with a career-best clearance of 13-1 and set a school record in 2004 by sailing over 13-3.50 to win the SEC Outdoor crown.