Women's Track Finishes 10th at SEC Indoor Championships
3/1/2009 12:00:00 AM
2009 SEC Championships Full Results 
2009 SEC Indoor Championships Day Three Gallery
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The women's track and field team concluded action at the 2009 SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by the University of Kentucky Sunday night. Alabama grabbed 16 points on the third and final day of competition at Nutter Field House.
"I think we had a bit of a struggle today," head coach Sandy Fowler said. "Our hurdlers nailed it. They did real well and I'm real proud of them. We had a rough time in the triple jump, the shot and in the DMR. I think that, yes we're young, but we need to step it up so that we're a lot more competitive. I think we need to be tougher, maybe more aggressive, maybe take a little bit more ownership in the way they compete. I think we're talented, extremely, but now we need to bring it to the meet."
Chealsea Taylor and Rachel Robbs started the day off right for Alabama in the high jump accumulating nine points for the team scoring. Taylor placed third with a clearance of 5-9 1/4. Robbs was sixth as she cleared the bar set at 5-5 1/4.
"We always have Chealsea Taylor to go to when we need points in almost any event," Fowler said. "I'm really proud of the way she competes and virtually places in everything she does. She's a great leader and somebody that I think everybody on the team can look up to on how she approaches her events. I am really excited for Rachel Robbs too. She did a tremendous job for us this weekend and came back in the high jump and scored for us again."
Six more points were added to the Crimson Tide's total score in the 60m hurdles as Kimberley Laing posted the same time as she did in the prelims coming across in a time of 8.36 to finish fourth. Nicole Okolo was eighth with a time of 8.55.
Angelica Howard heaved the eight-pound shot 48-3 1/4 to place eighth in the finals of the shot put to give the Crimson Tide one more point. Christina Octavien set a personal best in the event with a throw of 44-8 3/4.
Talaya Owens was ninth in the 400 meter final running a time of 55.46.
In the 5,000m, Kelsey Johnson ran a personal best time of 17:21.98 to finish 10th overall.
The distance medley relay team consisting of legs, in order, of 1,200 meters, 400m, 800m and mile, finished 10th with a time of 12:21.69. Running for the Crimson Tide in the event were Leigh Gilmore (1,200m), Owens (400m), Jordan Harper (800m) and Haley Moody (mile).
In team scoring, No. 2 Tennessee held off a late push from No. 9 LSU to win with 111 points to the Tigers' 105. No. 20 Arkansas, No. 24 Florida and South Carolina rounded out the top five with point totals of 97, 84 and 57, respectively. No. 18 Auburn was sixth with 54 points, Kentucky was seventh with 49.50 points, Mississippi was eighth with 32 points, Mississippi State was ninth with 28 points, Alabama was 10th with 26.50 points, Georgia was 11th with 14 points and Vanderbilt was 12th with 5 points.
"I think one of the things that us as coaches need to be is patient with the athletes," Fowler said. "They're going through growth pains and maturing because we have such a young team so I think we have to be as patient, if not more patient."
Next week, Alabama will send select athletes to the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, Ind. and possibly Arkansas as well on March 6 for their last chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas beginning on March 13.
Players Mentioned
