Women's track begins their "second" season

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by David Gordon

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The coming of spring has special significance for the women's track team. Each March, the team emerges from the confines of short gymnasium tracks with their banked turns and begins competition on the outdoor quarter-mile.

The team's training philosophy changes with the start of the outdoor season. Their long-term goal is reaching their top form at either the Southwest Conference Championships or Olympic Trials.

"We are training a little longer and not so short and fast as we had been," freshman Kari Vigerstol said. "Conference is a long way away, and we are trying to build our base."

The team opened its "second" season of the year with the Texas Southern University Relays. The annual meet is one of the country's largest.

Schools from all over the South as well as local high schools and professional track clubs attend the two-day meet.

The meet also serves as an early-season gauge to show how teams stand in comparison to each other.

The sprint medley relay was run for the first time this season. The race consists of two 100-meter legs followed by a 200 and a 400.

The team of sophomore Nikki Edwards, freshman Kasonya Whiting, junior Melissa Straker and junior TaNisha Mills took first with a time of 1:42.62.

The 4x100-meter relay team of Edwards, Whiting, junior Andrea Blackett and senior Dionne Wright finished third with a time of 46.79. The team decided not to field a team in the 4x400 relay when Straker began to feel a tightness in her hamstring.

The team was also well represented in the individual events. Senior Katy Eklof finished third in the 1,500 with a time of 4:40.25. Sophomore Shiela Madigan followed in 15th with a 4:59.29.

Senior Dionne Wright took third in the 100 with a 12.11. In the 3,000, junior Alex Gajewski finished sixth with a 10:42.18.

The team fielded three runners in a crowded 800 field. Sophomore Alexis Smith recorded the top Rice time, claiming sixth with a 2:16.12.

Holly Welch (2:16.35) and Vigerstol (2:19.01) finished in seventh and ninth, respectively. Welch said that the variety of competition at the TSU Relays helped to improve performance.

"It is good to go against people you don't normally see. It keeps you on your toes," she said. "You have to be aware and run a smart race."

Junior Trisha Harris placed third in both the discus and shot put. In the triple jump, junior Rosita Hogan placed fourth with a mark of 39-8.5.

Junior long jumper Cherita Howard also earned third with a leap of 20-4. The wind- aided mark was good for a provisional qualification for the NCAA outdoor meet.

In the high jump, freshman Chaundra Frank tied for fifth with a mark of 5-4.

This weekend the team will host the Oshman's/Bayou Classic. The meet may be the top women-only meet in the country. Teams from 12 universities and 20 high schools plan to attend. There will also be Olympic hopefuls in action including former Rice standouts Claudia Haywood and Valerie Tulloch.

According to Head Coach Victor Lopez, facing world-class athletes has two effects on the team members.

"It will motivate them to compete against these type of people, and hopefully they will improve in their times," he said. "However, some of them get nervous and concerned."

Vigerstol said that the inclusion of professional runners in the field both helps and hurts the collegiate runners.

"It makes the race exciting and fast. But at the same time you separate yourself from them and work for your time," she said.

There will also be an exhibition 200-meter men's race with professionals Carl Lewis, Mike Marsh and former Rice All-American Bryan Bronson scheduled to compete.

The meet will begin today at 2:30 p.m. at the track stadium. Finals start at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.

This item appeared in the Sports section of the March 29, 1996 issue.

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