TicketsJan. 17, 2009
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The University of Cincinnati indoor track and field team used seven first-place finishes in 16 events to win the BGSU Challenge at Perry Fieldhouse on the campus of Bowling Green State University Saturday afternoon. Cincinnati compiled 157 points to win by 36 points over second-place finisher Miami University.
Sophomore Natasha Burse started things off with a first-place showing in the 60-meter dash, crossing the line in a time of 7.59, five-tenths of a second faster than her fourth-place time at the BIG EAST Championships a year ago. Fellow sophomore Mandi Boykin added six points in the event with a third-place time of 7.637.
Burse continued her success in the sprints with a victory in the 200 meters. Burse registered a first-place time of 25.28 to sweep the two sprint events.
Junior Ashley Arnold and freshman Aricka Rhodes spearheaded a 1-2 finish in the 600 meters, giving the Bearcats 18 points in the event. Arnold ran a school-record time of 1:33.66, finishing two seconds ahead of Rhodes. Rhodes official time was recorded at 1:35.69.
In her first race as a collegian, freshman Kathy Klump ran an impressive race. Klump won the 800 meters by just under two seconds, finishing with a top-time of 2:13.33.
The Bearcats got back on track with a tight win in the 4x400 meter relay, before the Bearcats registered top performances in the field events.
Freshman Mackenzie Fields and sophomore Michelle Eby grasped another 1-2 finish for UC, this time in the pole vault. Fields finished in first place, clearing 11' 11 3/4", while Eby cleared 11' 05 3/4" to claim second place.
Junior Jasmine Cotten and Burse continued the trend of 1-2 finishes in the long jump. For the second meet in a row, Cotten claimed top honors in the event, jumping 19' 06 3/4". Burse's mark of 18' 03" bested the next-best finisher by 3.5", giving Burse her third top-two individual finish of the meet.
After Cincinnati and Miami, Ball State finished in third place, followed by Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, Ohio University, Toledo, Oakland, and IPFW.
UC travels back to Bloomington, Ind. for the second time in three weeks to compete in the Gladstein Invitational on Friday, Jan. 23 and Saturday, Jan. 24.