Alabama Track and Field Hosts Alabama Relays
3/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Scheduling Note: The 10,000m races have moved to 4 p.m. for the women and 4:40 p.m. for the men on Friday.
The University of Alabama men and women's track teams are welcoming teams from around the country to the prestigious Alabama Relays this weekend at the Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium.
The annual track and field event serve as an early season measuring stick for many of the nation's top track teams to see how they fare against other schools around the country. Among the schools participating are Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Rutgers, Southeast Missouri and Western Michigan.
The relays mark the first event of the outdoor season for both the UA men and women. The Tide men are looking to win their seventh straight title while the women are looking for their third consecutive team title.
The women are led by All-Americans Beau Walker, LaTasha Pharr and Beth Mallory, along with school record holders Aymara Albury and Megan Carnes. Walker and Pharr both earned All-American honors at last week's NCAA Indoor Championships. Walker shattered the school record in the 60-meter hurdles in the process.
The men are led by juniors Peter Etoot, Chauncey Harris and Byron Gibson and sophomore Steven Boozer. All three athletes posted NCAA Regional qualifying marks last year in their respective events. Etoot qualified in the 800m and 1,500m, Gibson in the 110m hurdles and Harris in the 100m Boozer in the discus.
The Alabama Relays get underway Thursday morning with the women's heptathlon at 9:30 a.m. The men's decathlon begins at 10:00 a.m. Thursday. Both events continue through Friday evening. Individual events begin Friday night with the running of the women and men's 10,000-meters at 4:00 p.m. and 4:40 p.m. respectively. The individual events continue all day Saturday with competition beginning at 8:00 a.m. with the men's hammer throw. Sunday's action also begins at 8:00 a.m. with the women's hammer throw.
The relay portion of the meet, which will be scored, takes place Sunday beginning at 12:30 p.m. with the women's shuttle hurdle relay and will conclude Sunday night with the running of the men's 4x400m relay, scheduled for a 5:10 p.m. start.
