Schade Earns Coveted Title of Drake Relays Champion
4/23/2010 12:00:00 AM
April 23, 2010
DES MOINES, Iowa - The Alabama women's track and field team wrapped up its Friday competition at the 101st Annual Drake Relays at Drake Stadium with one Drake Relays champion along with one individual and two relays advancing to the finals set for Saturday.
"On the whole I thought we had a pretty good day today," head women's track and field coach Sandy Fowler said. "I think we he can improve some things in the 4x100 meter relay for tomorrow and run even faster. "
The Alabama 4x100 meter relay team of sophomore Audra Frimpong, senior Chealsea Taylor, senior Kim Laing and junior Heather Matherson advanced to the Saturday final with a time of 45.90, just one-hundredth of a second off the squad's season-best time.
Laing returned to the oval less than two hours later when she advanced to the 100 meter hurdle finals as well with a time of 13.83 (-0.4) into a small headwind. Laing is the defending Drake Relays champion in the event. Sophomore Audra Frimpong was 13th with a time of 14.25 (-1.9).
"Kim (Laing) is the defending champion in her event and she is ready to run," Fowler said. "She said she's ready to race and I believe her."
During the "Relays Under the Lights" portion of the meet, the Crimson Tide 4x200 meter relay squad of Frimpong, Taylor, freshman Camilla Armstead and senior Talaya Owens compiled for a time of 1:38.09 to finish seventh.
The 4x800 meter relay team of freshmen Katlyn Will and Elsbeth Denton with sophomores Leigh Gilmore and Sara Vaughn collected a time of 9:27.39 to place 12th in the race. Even though Will took a hard fall on the track surface, she quickly regained her composure to finish her leg of the race, inspiring her teammates to the team's second-fastest relay time of the season.
Becoming a first-time Drake Relays champion, sophomore Krystle Schade won the high jump competition with a leap of 5-8 3/4.
The Tide tallied two finishers among the top 10 in the javelin competition with junior Meghan Austin leading the way with a throw of 142-2, finishing fifth. Freshman Bekah Hoppis finished eighth with a throw of 133-10.
Freshman Wilamena Hopkins notched a third-place finish in the shot put with a heave of 50-6 1/4.
On Thursday, sophomore Sara Vaughn clocked a season-best time of 11:09.26 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, finishing 17th overall.
"The weather was horrible today," Fowler recalled. "It was pouring down rain at times and our athletes pushed through it with good marks. We had a pretty good showing. I feel the shuttle hurdle team can win again. They are just looking great. Maybe we can start a tradition with that relay team at Alabama. I really do believe we should do well tomorrow."
The women return to Drake Stadium on Saturday at 8:20 a.m. (CDT) for the shuttle hurdle relay race as defending champions.
Players Mentioned
