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The Rice Thresher
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Team kicks off outdoor campaign at this weekend's TSU Relays by RYAN KEEDY THRESHER STAFF The women's track and field teams have dominated the Western Athletic Conference this year, but they're not done yet. With conference championships in cross country and indoor track and field already under their belts, the Owls will look to complete a rare hat trick as they turn their attention to the outdoor track and field campaign, which begins with this weekend's Texas Southern University Relays. Many of the running events are essentially the same for indoor and outdoor track but with some important additions, including the javelin, discus and hammer throws. And with an additional 200 meters of track available, some running events, such as the shorter sprints, are also affected. The Owls expect the changes to actually make them a better team for the outdoor season. "In the outdoor, for example, in the sprints you don't run 60 [meters], you run 100 meters," head coach Victor Lopez said. "We definitely compete very well during the indoor season traditionally, but we're a better outdoor team." Although the Owls literally and figuratively ran away with the indoor WAC title, Lopez said the outdoor competition - which climaxes with the WAC Championships at the University of Texas at El Paso in mid-May - will be more intense. "The outdoor championships are going to be at UTEP, so we're missing the factor of being at our own track," Lopez said. "For indoor, it was great to be here in Houston. Also, UTEP is about 400 feet above sea level, so we have to be careful about how we use our distance runners. We're looking forward to doing the best we can and hopefully end up at the top, because we have a good balance between sprint, jumps, middle distance and distance." Lopez said the Miners could pose the Owls' biggest threat for more reasons than home track advantage. "I believe our stiffest competition will come from UTEP, and they will be hosting the meet, so we'll have to keep an eye out for them," Lopez said. "[Southern Methodist University] finished second in indoor, but they lack in some events where UTEP will have some success. ... We're really going to have to keep an eye out for UTEP." Besides concentrating on the WAC championship, Lopez said he hopes to send a number of Owls to the NCAA Championships in Durham, N.C., May 31 to June 2. One area to watch is the relays, where Rice has high hopes for both the 400- and 1,600-meter squads. A wild card for the 400 relay will be Kim Smallwood, who returns after spending the last few months helping the women's basketball team to its best season ever. "We hope to get our 4x400 to nationals," Lopez said. "We should have been at the indoors, but we were 14th and they only take 12. Hopefully that's not the case in the outdoor season, and we qualify automatically, right away. "The 4x100 meters should be as good as last year or better. We will get Kim Smallwood by the first week in April, and she will add strength." The season begins at this weekend's TSU Relays, but Lopez said the Owls will mostly use the meet for practice purposes. "We're using TSU as sort of like training," Lopez said. "We'll try to give a chance to people who don't normally get to run in the relays. ... We're not really looking for any big marks, just to have fun and use it as a training base. "We have a balanced team with individuals in all the different areas that could make it to the NCAAs, so we feel good. It takes time to put a team like this together, but by now, we are in a position that we could challenge the [WAC]." - back - |
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