Dec. 10, 2010
CHARLESTON, Ill. - In its 2010-11 indoor season opener, the University of Cincinnati women's track and field team had multiple record-setting performances at the Early Bird Track and Field meet at Lantz Fieldhouse on the campus of Eastern Illinois University.
"It was a good season opener today with two school records and strong early marks," said UC head coach Susan Seaton.
Individual standouts for the Bearcats were senior sprinter Natasha Burse (Garland, Texas/Richardson) and junior sprinter Aricka Rhodes (Westerville, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) and junior Mackenzie Fields (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mariemont).
Burse finished first in the 60-meter dash after setting a UC record (7.48 seconds) and also came out victorious in the 200-meter dash (25.27 seconds).
Fields won the pole-vault competition with a height of 13-01.50 feet, which set a Lantz Fieldhouse record and ranks third all-time in Cincinnati history.
Rhodes finished first in the 400-meter dash (57.55 seconds).
The Bearcats 4x400 relay team, consisting of sophomore Shanay Portis (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield), junior Vanessa Hardin (Westerville, Ohio), sophomore Alyssa Edley (London, Ohio/London), and Rhodes, came out triumphant after finishing the race in 3:53.66.
Cincinnati scored a total of 119 points in the 17-event meet, behind Indiana State's 178.50 and Eastern Illinois' 147.5. Northern Illinois (81.5), Butler (47) and Kennesaw State (45.5) rounded out the scoring.
UC has a four-week break before its next competition Jan. 7 at the Akron Opener in Akron, Ohio.