Jan. 21, 2011
KENT, Ohio - The University of Cincinnati women's track team continues its indoor season, while the men's team makes its 2011 preseason debut, on Friday and Saturday (Jan. 21-22) at the All-Ohio Championships at the Kent State Field House.
In addition the Golden Flashes, the Bearcats will compete against Akron, Ashland, Bowling Green, Dayton, Lake Erie, Miami, Notre Dame (Ohio), Ohio University, Tiffin, Toledo, Ursuline, Wright State, Xavier, and Youngstown State.
The women are fresh off a first-place finish at the Akron Opener on Jan. 7 that featured a total of eight wins, including seven individual victories. The top point scorers in Akron were senior sprinter Natasha Burse (Garland, Texas/Richardson) with 12, freshman thrower Frida Akerstrom (Nynaeshamn, Sweden) with 11 and sophomore sprinter Shanay Portis (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield) with 9.75. Overall 19 Bearcats scored at the meet.
Burse won the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.70, while junior sprinter Aricka Rhodes (Westerville, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) notched a BIG EAST season-best time in the 400-meter dash with a time of 56.00 seconds to claim first. Four other Bearcats took home individual titles at the meet. Junior Kathy Klump (Aurora, Ind./South Dearborn) won the 800-meter run, senior Michele McKenney (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) won the 8,000 meter, junior Paris Campbell (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) took the 60-meter hurdles and junior Mackenzie Fields (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) won the pole vault.
In preparation of the outdoor season, which begins March 19 at the Early Bird Relay, the men's team is also competing at the All-Ohio this weekend. It's led by top returnees Brian Zimmerman (Sarver, Pa./Freeport), a junior thrower who last year finished 19th at the NCAA Championships in the Javelin throw, and junior distance runner Eric Finan (New Richmond, Ohio/New Richmond), who earned All-BIG EAST honors last year after finishing second in the 5,000-meter race at the conference championships after setting a school record time of 14:01.16.
For live results of the All-Ohio Championships, Click Here.
After the All-Ohio Championships, the UC women return to action at the Pole Vault Summit, Jan. 28-29 in Reno, Nev.