TicketsApril 2, 2010
Heat Sheets | Final Meet Schedule
CINCINNATI- For the second time in three weeks, the University of Cincinnati men's and women's track & field teams will compete at home, hosting the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational on Saturday, April 3, at Gettler Stadium. Field events are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., while action on the track is set to kick off at Noon.
Last weekend, the Bearcats were at three different meets -- the Raleigh Relays, Weems Baskin Relays, and the Alabama Relays.
Highlighting the Raleigh Relays was the performance of sophomore distance runner Eric Finan, who broke his own school record in the 5,000m with a time of 14:12.24, shattering his previous mark by seven seconds.
Also at the Raleigh Relays, senior Jocelyn McCauley ran the fourth-fastest time in school history in the 10,000m, clocking in at 36:28.78.
The Weems Baskin Relays saw eight Bearcats record Top-5 finishes, including victories in the 400 meters by sophomore Aricka Rhodes, and the javelin by sophomore Brian Zimmerman. Rhodes ran a blazing 54.98, which was good for the fifth-best time in school history, while Zimmerman won the javelin with a toss of 205'4'', his second win in as many weeks.
Sophomore Michelle Eby finished second and senior Stefanie Ponte finished fifth in the pole vault for the women, while junior Tommy Marks notched a second-place finish in the pole vault on the men's side.
In the men's high jump the Bearcats had three Top 5 finishers, including a second-place finish from senior Brandon Fitch.
Freshman Brandon Smith was the lone Bearcat to compete in the Alabama Relays, competing in his first decathlon as a Bearcat. Smith finished eighth in the field of 16 with a score of 6,021.
An All-American in the 400 meters last season, senior Antione Drakeford is set to make his return to the track this weekend after suffering a stress fracture in his foot over the winter. Drakeford is scheduled to compete in the 100m and 4x100 for the Bearcats.
The Oliver Nikoloff Invitational is the second of three meets at Gettler Stadium this season. April 30 - May 2, Gettler Stadium will be the site of the 2010 BIG EAST Outdoor Track & Field Championships. It will mark the second time since joining the BIG EAST during the 2005-06 season that a conference championship event has been held on the UC campus. The 2007 BIG EAST Volleyball Championships were held at Fifth Third Arena in 2007.