Women's Track Team Prepares for NCAA Mideast Regional
5/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama track teams have worked all season to prepare for this weekend's meet, the NCAA Mideast Regional, which is the last hurdle to the NCAA national championship meet at the end of the month in Sacramento.
The top five performers in each event at this weekends four regionals automatically advance to the NCAA Championships in Sacramento.
For the Crimson Tide track team the goal all season has been simple, reach the NCAA regional mark at any meet and continue your season, those who did not reach a regional mark had their season come to an end at the SEC Championships last weekend.
"I think we have some young ladies that could do extremely well this weekend," head women's coach Sandy Fowler said. "We are looking for a top 10 finish as a team, possible even a top five finish. We have the athletes to accomplish that feat, which would be a building block for this young team."
In 2006 the Tide women's team finished fourth overall at the Mideast Regional.
The Crimson Tide team will send five athletes competing in seven events to this years NCAA regionals. Seniors Miruna Mataoanu and Megan Carnes are the only Tide athletes who have experience at the NCAA regionals. Last season Mataoanu won the Mideast Regional high jump title on her way to earning All-American at the NCAA championships, she also finished 21st in the triple jump. Carnes turned in a 25th place finish in the 3000m steeplechase.
Competing for the first time at the regional level for the Tide will be junior college transfer Trish Bartholomew, freshman Kimberly Laing and freshman Sarah Robles. Laing was a junior college All-American last season and will compete in the 400m this weekend. She was also qualified for the 200m but will not compete in that event.
Freshman Kimberly Laing will run the 100m hurdles for the Tide and Sarah Robles will compete in the discus and the shot put. Robles finished ninth at the NCAA indoor national championship in the shot put.
The Mideast Regional will begin on Friday and conclude Saturday evening in Columbia, Missouri on the campus of the University of Missouri.
