Krystle Schade Advances to Finals at NCAA Championships
6/10/2009 12:00:00 AM
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Alabama women's track and field team began competition Wednesday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships being hosted by the University of Arkansas at John McDonnell Field. The ladies were able to finish their events before the meet was put under a weather delay at approximately 7:15 p.m.
In the high jump, true freshman Krystle Schade advanced out of the qualifying round to the finals set for 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Schade and 15 others cleared a height of 5-9 1/4 to advance. Chealsea Taylor, failing to advance, just missed that height and cleared 5-8 1/2.
"I think it's really great to have a freshman qualify for the finals," head coach Sandy Fowler said. "Krystle is the type of person that's very tough mentally. She has a great future in the high jump. I think she has many national championship meets ahead of her and possibly a NCAA Championship for herself.
Talaya Owens had a disappointing end to her sophomore season as she finished 26th in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:00.01.
"Talaya, unfortunately, she injured her knee a little bit around the eighth hurdle and I think that affected her coming down the straight and at that time, she was in position to advance to the next round," Fowler said. "Unfortunately, she had to back off and just kind of cruise in to finish the race."
The Crimson Tide will return to the championship meet on Thursday at 11:15 a.m. as Taylor starts the first event of the heptathlon.
Players Mentioned
