University of Tennessee Athletics
UT'S ARIEL BROOKS CHARTS NCAA AUTOMATIC MARK AT HUSKER INVITATIONAL
February 03, 2006 | Women's Track
Feb. 3, 2006
LINCOLN, Neb. -- For the third time this season, Ariel Brooks broke her own school record in the weight throw. This time, however, the University of Tennessee senior unleashed an effort that earned her a trip to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Competing in the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational Friday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, the Lady Vol from Miami, Fla., uncorked a throw of 70 feet, 3 3/4 inches. It easily met the NCAA automatic qualifying standard of 68-10 3/4 and earned Brooks a ticket to her first national indoor meet as a member of the Big Orange. That competition will take place March 10-11 in Fayetteville, Ark.
Tonight's automatic mark is the first by a Lady Vol this season. The defending NCAA champions and current No. 5 team in the nation also have previously-recorded provisionals from sophomore Cleo Tyson (Huntsville, Texas) in the 60 and 200 meters, senior Patricia Hall (St. Ann, Jamaica) in the 400 meters, redshirt freshman Celriece Law (Denver, Colo.) in the 60-meter hurdles, senior Jessica Reust (Knoxville, Tenn.) in the pole vault and the 4x400-meter relay.
Brooks, who shattered her previous UT mark of 67-0 3/4, finished second this evening behind a toss of 71-6 1/4 from national leader Tamara Burns of Virginia Tech. The improvement moves the Lady Vol from 10th nationally into sixth position and vaults her to number two in the Southeastern Conference this season.
The foray into 70-foot territory was the first of Brooks' career, and she managed to hit that plateau twice in Cornhusker Country. Her series included throws of 64-6 1/2, 64-1 1/4 and 68-10 in the prelims and heaves of 65-7, 70-2 1/2 and 70-3 3/4 in the finals.
On Saturday, Brooks and UT classmate April Thomas (Albany, Ga.), who was ninth in the weight throw Friday night at 57-1 1/2, will return to take part in the shot put at 1 p.m. Eastern.
