Schade Earns All-American on Day One of NCAA Championships
3/12/2010 12:00:00 AM
March 12, 2010
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. On the opening day of the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center on Friday, the Alabama women's track and field team notched one All-American in freshman Krystle Schade.
"I envisioned my first indoor season just competing well, but my motivation was to be an All-American after just missing it last year during outdoors," Schade said. "This year, I did my best. I came out the way I wanted to compete and I'm happy about that."
Finishing in a tie for eighth in the high jump, Schade garnered her first All-American accolade. The Sunrise, Fla., native cleared a height of 5-10 to earn the honor.
"For a freshman to have the type of focus that Krystle has says a lot about her character and how she approaches her event," head women's track and field coach Sandy Fowler said. "This is only a stepping point for Krystle. She's not only going to earn more All-American honors, but I think she's going to win this event, maybe even more than once. She's very tough in regards to being a competitor and as a result, she is a very good ambassador for this team and the University of Alabama."
Schade became Alabama's first women's indoor high jump All-American since 1985 and just the third all-time indoors. The SEC Women's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year is also the first Alabama women's indoor All-American since 2008 (Trish Bartholomew, 400m).
"We're very proud of Krystle," jumps coach Scott Roberts said. "It's quite a feat for a freshman to make All-American. Any time you're in the top eight, you've done a tremendous job. To make it even more special is that she's the first indoor All-American in that event in quite a while for Alabama. This young lady has many, many more opportunities to earn All-American, both indoors and outdoors."
In the 60m hurdles, senior Kim Laing failed to advance to the Saturday final even though she ran her third-fastest time of the season. Laing finished 15th in her first-ever indoor national meet, just nine one-hundredths of a second from qualifying for the final.
"Kim has had a great year," Fowler said. "She's set personal-bests over and over again this season. You can never complain when someone wins the SEC championship. The times here were phenomenal. For Kim to be in the mix, it would have had to be a major career-best time for her. With that being said, there's always something that can be learned to take out of a championship. She's ready for the outdoor season and bettering herself in the 100m hurdles."
On Saturday, senior Chealsea Taylor will compete in the pentathlon, which is slated for an 11:30 a.m. (CST) start.
Players Mentioned
