Women's Track Prepares for NCAA Championships
6/10/2008 12:00:00 AM
June 10, 2008
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama women's track and field team will head to the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. The meet will begin on Wednesday, June 11 at Drake Stadium. The first event for the Crimson Tide will be the 400 hurdles on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.
NCAA Regional Recap:The Alabama women's team finished ninth at the NCAA Mideast Regional on the strength of five all-region accolades. Senior Trish Bartholomew won the 400 meters in a personal best time of 51.58. Betty Rotich was the first member of the Tide to punch her ticket to Des Moines with a fifth place finish in the 5000 meters.
All-Mideast Regional Honors:The Alabama women's track and field team garnered five all-region honors. Trish Bartholomew led the way for Alabama with two individual honors and recognition for her efforts on the 4x100 relay team.
Bartholomew won the 400 meter title with a personal best time of 51.58. The 2008 indoor All-American then came back 45 minutes later to place fourth in the 200 meters with a time of 23.12. Bartholomew plus the trio of Heather Matherson, Nicole Okolo and Talaya Owens earned all-region honors in the 400 meter relay.
Junior Betty Rotich was the first Crimson Tide member to punch her ticket to the NCAA national championships with a fifth place finish in the 5000 meters. Rotich placed fifth overall with five places automatically qualifying. Rotich crossed the line in a time of 16:31.76 which ranks sixth all-time in the Alabama record books. Freshman Meghan Austin also was named all-region after placing eighth in the javelin with a throw of 146-01.
Scouting the Competition:Familiar faces will be at the NCAA Championships as five SEC teams are ranked in the top-25. LSU enters as the top team in the nation while Florida checks in at No. 7. Arkansas is ranked No. 12 and Tennessee follows at No. 14 while Ole Miss rounds out the group at No. 22.
Alabama at the NCAA Championships:The Alabama Crimson Tide have finished as the runner-up at the NCAA Championships twice in consecutive years. Alabama placed second in both 1986 and 1987. Alabama has had a total of 90 All-American performers with the last being Miruna Mataonu and Trish Bartholomew last season. Beth Mallory was the last national champion coming in 2005 in the discus.
Crimson Tide in the Top-10 at Nationals:Alabama will send a contingency of three athletes to the NCAA National Championships. Trish Bartholomew is the only member of the Tide that is ranked in the top-10. Bartholomew enters with the fourth best mark in the 400 with a time of 51.58. Redshirt freshman Talaya Owens nearly cracks the top-10 with the 13th fastest time in the 400 hurdles at 57.76.
Bartholomew Looks to Continue Stellar 2008:Senior Trish Bartholomew looks to cap off her stellar career at Alabama in impressive fashion. The SEC 400 indoor champion and All-American will look to win her first national title. Bartholomew ran a personal best at the Mideast Regional in a time of 51.58. The last time Alabama had a national champion was Beth Mallory in the discus in 2005. Bartholomew finished seventh at last year's Mideast Regional.
Newcomers get first taste of NCAA meet:Redshirt freshman Talaya Owens and junior Betty Rotich will be making their first appearance at the NCAA outdoor national championships. Owens, in just her first season in the 400 hurdles has the 13th best mark heading into the meet with a 57.76. That time is the sixth fastest in school history. Rotich, a junior college transfer heads into the championship after spending just one semester at the Capstone. Rotich ranks third all-time in the 10,000 and fourth in the 5000 at Alabama.
Players Mentioned
