Bama Men's Track Claims Relay Title at Drake Relays
5/11/2004 12:00:00 AM
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Despite the chilly temperatures and onslaught of rain, the Crimson Tide men's Sprint Medley Relay team posted the fastest time by more than a second at the prestigious Drake Relays.
The Sprint Medley Relay team of Byron Gibson, Lem Clayborn, Curtis McBride and Peter Etoot finished in a time of 3:18.83, which was 1.21 faster than their nearest competitor.
"We wanted to run for (David) Kimani," said Etoot. "I felt pretty comfortable. This season I started with 1:46.09. So I felt pretty comfortable because it was a 1:48 pace. (Kimani) used to give me advice when I came from Kenya as a freshman. He used to guide me through every race. He used to advise me because it was a new transition from Kenya. He was like a best friend for me."
Earlier in the meet, Gibson posted a preliminary time of 14.21 in the 110m hurdles qualifying him for the finals in the event where he finished eighth with a time of 14.44. His time in the preliminaries was as NCAA Regional qualifying time and the third fastest of the season for him.
"It's a great track and a great crowd," said Gibson. "I ran the 4x800 and the 1200 leg of the distance medley relay last year and had a poor showing. So it was in the back of my head to prove to my coach that I could perform in the big meets.
Erroll Hickenbottom and Gabe Warren also posted an eighth place finishes. Hickenbottom did so in the triple jump with a distance of 48'03.50". Warren finished eighth in the high jump with a height of 6'10.75" qualifying him for the NCAA Regional Championships.
Also competing in the meet was former Crimson Tide All-America and three-time national champion Ron Bramlett. Bramlett finished second in men's invitational 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.53.
"I came in expecting to win, but at the same time there's still some things I'm working on," said Bramlett. "It's still early in the season and there are still some things that are awkward. I felt I could have run faster. It wasn't that cold out."
Alabama returns to action this Saturday when the team travels to Oxford, Mississippi for the Ole Miss Open which will be a prelude to the SEC Championships which will be held in Oxford, May 13-16.
