Final Recap Of The SLC Championship Track And Field Meet
5/15/2001 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
May 15, 2001
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The University of Texas at Arlington women's team won the 2001 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship for the fourth consecutive year with a total of 189 points, breaking the championship meet record of 187 set by Louisiana-Monroe in 1986.
The Mavericks overtook Southwest Texas in the team standings after the 100-meter hurdles. The Bobcats came in second with 158.50 points. The remaining teams finished with McNeese State in third with 86 points, then Sam Houston State (70), Texas-San Antonio (64), Louisiana-Monroe (63), Northwestern State (56), Stephen F. Austin (38.50), Lamar (27), Southeastern Louisiana (20), and Nicholls State (8).
This completes the women's triple crown with UTA also capturing the 2000 cross country title and the 2001 indoor track and field championship. This is the second time they have swept all three events since 1997.
In the men's competition, Texas-San Antonio won its first ever Southland Conference outdoor track and field championship after coming on strong in the running events to overtake UTA and Northwestern State to win with 131 points. UTA was second with 115 and Northwestern finished third with 112.
The rest of the league came in with SWT in fourth with 91 points, followed by SHSU (77), McN (72.50), SFA (66), SLU (45.5), ULM (32), LU (24), and NICH (13).
Except for two events, the 400 meters and the 5,000 meters, the UTA women won every running event on the night. McNeese State's Brandy Spencer outdistanced UTA,s Shaniqua White in the 400 meters with a time of 53.82 to 54.26.
In the 5K run, senior Sita Waru, who was also the 10K winner, finished first with a time of 17:24.33. Waru went on to tie for the women's high point scorer with SWT's LaJuana Lovett with 28 points.
The UTA women went ahead in the team points when freshman Marteen Caldwell won the 100-meter hurdles with an NCAA provisional time of 13.48, which is also a new school record. Teammate Monika Rolle came in second at 13.95.
In the 100 meters, the top four finishers all posted NCAA provisional qualifying times. UTA senior LaQuinta Manahan won her third consecutive title with a time of 11.36 followed by Lamar's Alicia McIntosh (11.44), and SWT's Lovett (11.46) and Shontae Johnson (11.49). The Mavs' Erica Martensson also had a provisional qualifying time in the 400-meter hurdles at 57.99.
The UTA women had several repeat title winners. Senior Mishael Bertrand won her third consecutive 800-meter race with a time of 2:11.42. The Mavs won their fourth straight 4x100 relay with a 45.11. They are also three-time winners in the 4x400 relay with a stacked lineup that finished with a 3:41.09. All legs of the UTA relay hold school record marks, White in the 400, Martensson in the 400 hurdles, Manahan in the 100 and 200, and Bertrand in the 800.
Earlier in the afternoon, Misty Ballard of Stephen F. Austin set the all-time conference record in women's pole vault with a leap of 12-08.00. The former SLC best was 12-07.50 set last season by Southwest Texas, Melissa Pundt. The old SLC championship meet mark was 12-06.25 held by UTA's Marion Meyer and also set last year.
In the men's meet, Southeastern Louisiana's Michael Sang was the high point winner with 26 points. He placed first in the 5,000 meters with a time of 14:35.01 and in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at 9:06.45. He was third in the 1,500 with a 3:56.71.
One of the exciting early afternoon field events to watch was the men's high jump. The final came down to a jump-off between UTA's Ryan Chambers and SFA's Paul Todd, which Chambers won to finish first with a height of 7-01.75.
UTA's Joe Mitchell reclaimed his pole vault title by going over at 16-08. He won the event in 1999.
UTSA started its run for the championship when Henry Maruping won the 1,500-meter race in 3:53.5. The Roadrunners then finished 1-2-4 in the 110-meter hurdles with Alex Flores leading the way at 14.20 followed by James Cantu (14.45), SWT's Marques Jackson (14.47), and Carl Johnson (14.49).
UTSA also won the 100 on the strength of Francis Ngapout's NCAA provisional qualifying time of 10.30. After UTA's 4x100 relay did not finish because of a baton drop in the third turn, UTSA sealed the victory by winning the evening's final event, the 4x400 relay, with a first-place time of 3:07.44.
For complete meet results, go to www.deltatiming.com.
