TicketsFeb. 3, 2010
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati indoor track and field team competes in its final tune up prior to the BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Championships when it travels to New York City for the New Balance Invitational Feb. 5-6 at the Armory Track. The Bearcats will get a feel for the venue as it will return to the Armory track Feb. 20-21 when it returns for the BIG EAST Indoor Championships.
The meet will be Cincinnati's largest of the season to this point and its most challenging as 11 of the Top 25 teams in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Top 25 indoor rankings will be competing.
"Every meet has been a building block for us," said women's head coach Susan Seaton. "We have the opportunity to face some of the top teams in the country this weekend and it will be exciting to see how we match up against this elite competition."
In the most recent regional rankings released by the USTFCCCA on Feb. 2, the Bearcats were ranked seventh in the Great Lakes Region, their first appearance in the regional rankings this season. UC is just one of two teams in the State of Ohio that is regionally ranked, joining Ohio State.
Cincinnati is coming off a series of impressive performances last weekend at the Rod McCravy Invitational, highlighted by NCAA Provisional marks from senior Jasmine Cotten in the high jump and sophomore Mackenzie Fields in the pole vault. Cotten captured first place in the high jump with a leap of 5' 10", while Fields had a personal-best clearance of 13' 1-1/2", placing her second on UC's all-time list behind Brittany Klima.
In addition to Cotten and Fields, sophomore Aricka Rhodes had a breakout performance in the 400 meters. Rhodes got out of the blocks well and finished a mazingly strong with a PR time of 55.72 . The mark r anks third on UC's all-time list and is an improvement of almost a full second.
Junior Natasha Burse continued her steady improvement with seasonal-best marks in the 60 meters (7.61) and the 200 meters (24.73) and is poised to be a difference maker for UC in the coming weeks.
UC enters the weekend with 18 athletes qualified for the BIG EAST Indoor Championships in 23 events.
For a complete recap of the 2010 New Balance Invitational, stay tuned to www.GoBEARCATS.com.