University of Tennessee Athletics
Bowman Just Misses UT Mile Record
February 15, 2008 | Women's Track
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Van Horn's 5K Leads UT at Tyson Invite | Complete Results??
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- A little over a month after having her appendix removed, the University of Tennessee???s Sarah Bowman is running the fastest times of her career. Late Friday night in the invitational session of the Tyson Invitational, the Lady Vol All-American posted her second straight career best and produced a fourth-place finish in the mile run.
Bowman, from Warrenton, Va., also delivered her second NCAA automatic qualifying time in as many races this season after undergoing an appendectomy on Jan. 10. Her effort of four minutes, 36.51 seconds at the Randal Tyson Track Center was good for fourth against an elite field of contestants and left her with the second-fastest mark in UT history, just shy of Alisa Harvey???s 4:35.25 school record on March 2, 1986.
Former Arkansas standout Christin Wurth-Thomas, now running for Nike, finished first in 4:27.18, followed by Reebok???s Jenelle Deatherage at 4:31.84 and Michigan???s Nicole Edwards at 4:33.23. With that time, Edwards moved into first on the NCAA descending order list and pushed Bowman to second nationally but still easily first in the SEC.
Senior Courtney Champion (Lawrenceville, Ga.) started the late night session off with the 60m dash, and she wound up seventh in 7.42 against a field that included all professional sprinters with the exception of Champion and Alexandria Anderson of Texas. The other UT sprinter came out better this time around, taking fourth in 7.30. Nike???s Carmelita Jeter hit the finish line first at 7.27, followed by former LSU standout Muna Lee, also of Nike, in 7.28.
Champion returned to the oval later in the evening to compete in the 200m dash, and she wound up fourth in a season-best and NCAA provisional effort of 23.73. Bianca Knight of Texas won in 23.07, followed by Anderson at 23.36 and former South Carolina standout Natasha Hastings, now representing Nike, at 23.51.
Former Lady Vol and NCAA indoor collegiate record-holder Nicole Cook also was in action on Friday night. The ex-UT All-American and national champion, running for Reebok, came in second in the 800 meters in 2:03.11. Nike???s Kenia Sinclair took the win in 2:01.41.
Tonight???s invitational session will be televised Sunday by ESPN from 5-7 p.m. Eastern Time. The Lady Vols will return to the track on Saturday with entrants in nine different events. They begin at 11 a.m. and conclude around 6:15 p.m.
