SAN ANTONIO ? The UTSA women’s track and field team will travel to Houston to compete in the Southland Conference Indoor Championships to be held this Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21, at Bill Yeoman Fieldhouse.
In their first season under a combined coaching staff since 2001, the Roadrunners will look to improve upon last year’s seventh-place finish, which broke a string of seven consecutive top-six showings.
Junior Dana Mecke is back to defend her 800 meters crown won last year in 2:15.86 and the Smithson Valley High product also will compete in the mile, 3,000m and distance medley relay. Mecke (2:14.37) and sophomore Jayde James (2:17.68), who was eighth last year, carry the league’s top two times in the 800m entering the meet. Mecke, the 2008 SLC Cross Country Champion, Athlete of the Year and Student-Athlete of the Year, also pulled off a runner-up showing in the mile last season with a 5:02.52 clocking. She joined James, junior Jessica Jones and Faith Barlow on the third-place DMR (12:18.37). Mecke’s personal-best mile time of 4:56.64 posted at the Houston Invitational on Jan. 31 also leads the conference.
Jones, the 2008 SLC Outdoor Champion in the 100m hurdles, is one of the favorites in the 60m hurdles. She finished third last season with an 8.83 effort and her season-best time of 8.66 ranks third on the conference list.
Freshman Kayla Pratt totes the SLC’s top 5,000m time, a 17:47.68 from the Houston Invitational, while senior Ashley Jackson’s season-best 25.11 in the 200m ranks fourth.
UTSA has a storied history at the women’s championship with three titles from 1992-94, a trio of runner-up finishes in 1995-97 and three third-place efforts in 1998, 2003 and 2004. The Roadrunners have captured 42 individual or relay crowns and currently hold three meet records: 800m (2:06.05; Katie Poindexter; 2003), 1,600m relay (3:43.70; Diane Smith, Ryanne Dupree, Lyndsey Sidney, Rosalind Holmes; 2005) and pentathlon (4,183; Ryanne Dupree, 2006). UTSA has garnered 19 postseason superlatives, including five Athletes of the Year: Ryanne Dupree (2006), Tameka Roberts (1996, ?97, ?98) and Liza Hunter (1992).
For complete meet information and results, please click here.
