TicketsMarch 27, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Junior Jasmine Cotten led three UC heptathletes with a second-place finish in the heptathlon at the Alabama Relays held at Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium on Friday. Cotten sat in second-place after the first day of competition on Thursday, and finished with an NCAA provisional score of 5,321. Sophomores Kaylon Eppinger and Chelsea Gerken added sixth- and eighth-place finishes for the Bearcats with scores of 4,822 and 4,303, respectively.
After completing the shot put, 100 hurdles, high jump, and 200 meters on Thursday, Friday's events consisted of the long jump, javelin, and 800 meters.
On day two, Cotten took first-place honors in the long jump with a regional qualifying mark of 19' 8", before hurling the javelin 87' 7", and running 2:26.80 in the 800, which was good enough for second among all competitors. Cotten also added a regional qualifying mark in the high jump on day one of competition, clearing 5' 8-3/4".
Eppinger, who was competing in the heptathlon for the first time in her career, continued her solid performance with a mark of 16' 9-1/4" in the long jump, a throw of 94' 3" in the javelin, and a time of 2:32.60 in the 800. On day one, Eppinger recorded a regional qualifying time in the 100 hurdles with a time of 13.90
Gerken, who sat in ninth place after day one, moved into eighth place with solid performances in all three of the day two events. After recording a jump of 16' 5" in the long jump, Gerken notched the longest throw of all three Bearcat athletes in the javelin with a toss of 106' 4". Gerken finished the meet with a time of 2:39.28 in the 800 meters.
The Bearcats host the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational on Saturday, March 28, at Gettler Stadium. Field events begin at 10 a.m.