NO. 17 TENNESSEE WOMEN HEAD TO PENN RELAYS THIS WEEKEND

April 24, 2007

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Entered in its greatest range of events in at least the past 10 years, the University of Tennessee women's track & field team will compete in the 113th Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Thursday through Saturday, intent on adding to the collection of Championship of America "relay wheels" that adorns the office of Lady Vol Head Coach J.J. Clark.

A travel squad of 17 UT women will make its way to historic Franklin Field on the University of Pennsylvania campus, where Tennessee will take part in nine individual events and six of the relays for which the meet is most well known. The Big Orange women will get started Thursday morning and wrap up their stay in Philly on Saturday afternoon, where crowds typically approach the neighborhood of 50,000 in anticipation of watching the university division relay finals as well as the thrilling USA vs. the World competition.

"We are entered in several different events and are going up there to try to win and, if not, do the best that we possibly can," Clark said. "It's exciting, because we have a nice blend of sprint and distance athletes where we have the range to cover everything from the 4x1 to the distance medley to the 4x1500m relay. I am looking for our team to get involved in supporting one another, competing and coming back home healthy as we approach the SEC and NCAA Mideast meets."

In recent years, Tennessee has surged back to the prominence it displayed at the meet in the early 1980s, when Clark's sister, Joetta, was a standout for the Orange and White. A year ago, UT won the sprint medley relay, finished second in the 4x800m relay and took third in the 4x200m relay. In 2004, the Lady Vols pulled off a trifecta for the first time since 1984, winning the DMR, sprint medley and 4x8.

In 2007, Clark's club is slated to compete in the 4x100mR, 4x200mR, 4x800mR, 4x1500mR, DMR and shuttle hurdle relay, but it won't defend its SMR crown. UT's season-best times in those events are a victorious 44.05 in the Sea Ray Relays 4x1, a runner-up 1:34.12 in the Pepsi Florida Relays 4x2, a victorious 8:36.19 in the 4x8 at Florida, a runner-up 20:14.01 in the 4x1600mR at Florida, a fourth-place 11:17.96 in the Sea Rays DMR and a runner-up and school-record 55.29 in the SHR at Florida.

Individually, Tennessee is entered in six field events and three running events. Junior Shanna Dickenson (Cincinnati, Ohio) is the most accomplished of the field corps, having set the school record in the hammer throw this season and qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional in that event as well as the discus. She will compete in the championship division of those events in addition to throwing the shot. UT also will have entries in the javelin, long jump and triple jump.

There also are Lady Vols slated for action in the 100m dash, 100m hurdles and 5000-meter run. All-America juniors Courtney Champion (Lawrenceville, Ga.) and Cleo Tyson (Huntsville, Texas) and freshman Lynne Layne (New Rochelle, N.Y.) are among the entries in the 100m prelims on Friday, while a pair of indoor All-Americans, freshman Nia Ali (Philadelphia, Pa.) and sophomore Celriece Law (Denver, Colo.), as well as sophomore Pavi'Elle "Tiki" James (Miami, Fla.) are penciled in for the 100m hurdles prelims that same day.

Sophomore Katie Van Horn (Glendora, N.J.), who is already qualified for regionals in the 5000 meters, will run in the championship division of that event at Thursday night's distance carnival, as will senior Katie Flaute (Dayton, Ohio) and freshman Jackie Areson (Delray Beach, Fla.), who made the regional cut in the 3000m steeplechase last weekend at the Vanderbilt Invitational.

THURSDAY, APRIL 26
EVENT (NCAA DIV. I QUALIFYING MARKS)

Champ. Hammer (Regional: 177-8/54.15m) 10 a.m.

(263) Shanna Dickenson

Champ. Shot Put (Regional: 16.90m) Noon

(266) Shanna Dickenson

4x100m Relay Pre. (Regional: 45.70) 1 p.m.

(12) TBA

College Shot Put (Regional: 16.90m) 1:15 p.m.

(270) Amara McKell
Nia Ali

College Discus (Regional: 155-2/47.30m) 3:00 p.m.

(276) Amara McKell

College Javelin (Regional: 142-6/43.45m) 3:15 p.m.