Women's Track Finishes 60th at NCAA Indoor Championships
3/13/2010 12:00:00 AM
March 13, 2010
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Freshman Krystle Schade led the Alabama women's track and field team at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center this weekend, scoring the only points and collecting the Tide's only All-American award.
"I'm certainly disappointed that Chealsea didn't make All-American," head women's track and field coach Sandy Fowler said. "She's one of the hardest workers on the team. With two events left, to be sitting in fifth and have a hard time in both of those remaining events is tough. Overall, she had an average day with the exception of her PR in the hurdles. Sometimes you have to be tougher and harder on yourself when it comes down to it. I wish she had done it because 100 percent in my mind, she deserves to be an All-American. She's a hard worker and I respect everything that Chealsea Taylor has done for the team."
Senior Chealsea Taylor, the lone competitor for the Tide on Saturday, began her quest for All-American honors in the pentathlon with an enormous career-best in the 60m hurdles. After posting a time of 8.73 two weeks ago at the SEC Championships, on this track, the Denver native shattered her record by .14 seconds, crossing in a time of 8.59. Taylor entered the season with a best time of 8.89 in the event.
Ranking eighth after the first event, Taylor finished in a tie for second in the high jump, clearing the bar set at 5-8 1/2 to move her into fifth overall in the standings.
The senior maintained her fifth-place standing after the third event, the shot put, even though she struggled, throwing almost three feet less than she did at the conference meet. Taylor finished 13th with a heave of 35-9 1/2.
After a leap of 17-11 in the long jump event, placing 13th in the second consecutive event, Taylor slipped to ninth overall with just the 800m run remaining.
In the last event, the 800m run, Taylor crossed the line in a time of 2:36.67 to place 14th. She fell to 12th in the overall pentathlon standings with a score of 3,789 points.
Oregon sophomore Brianne Theisen claimed the individual title with a point total of 4,396 - the fourth-best score in collegiate indoor history.
Due to three international athletes finishing in the top eight, which automatically earn All-American honors, Taylor would have earned the accolade as well had she been among the top eight American finishers, or the top 11.
On Friday, Schade garnered her first All-American accolade, finishing in a tie for eighth in the high jump with a clearance of 5-10.
In the final team standings, No. 1 Oregon claimed the coveted national title with 61 points, followed by No. 5 Tennessee, tallying 36 points. No. 3 LSU (35), No. 4 Florida (33) and No. 2 Texas A&M (31) rounded out the top five teams, respectively. Alabama notched a 60th place team finish with .50 point - its first indoor team finish since 2008 (25th, 8 points).
Up next, Alabama will embark on its outdoor campaign when it hosts the Alabama Relays, March 25-28 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Players Mentioned
