SAN ANTONIO — The UTSA men's and women's track & field teams will kick off the 2010 indoor season on Friday when they travel to Houston for the Leonard Hilton Memorial.
Competition gets underway at 11 a.m. at Bill Yoeman Field House with the weight throw. Field events will go on throughout the afternoon and early evening, ending with the triple jump at 6:30 p.m. Running events commence at 1 p.m. with the 200 meter dash and will come to an end at 9:40 p.m. with the men's 1,600-meter relay.
Other schools participating in the meet include Abiliene Christian, Houston, Jackson State, Lamar, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, Nicholls, Northwood, Prairie View A&M, Rice, Stephen F. Austin, Texas, Texas Lutheran, Texas Southern and Tulane.
The Roadrunners men, who have won the last four Southland Conference Indoor Championships, return defending league champions Teddy Williams (60m/200m) and Johnathan Whittaker (high jump), both of whom are seniors. Williams, who has earned All-America honors the last two seasons, is the Southland record holder in the 60m (6.59) and he has won a total of six conference titles (three indoor/three outdoor) in his first three seasons in the Alamo City. UTSA is just one of two programs that have won four consecutive Southland indoor crowns. Lamar won six straight from 1980-85.
Meanwhile, the women welcome back league title holders Jessica Jones (60m hurdles), Dana Mecke (800m/mile) and all four legs of their champion distance medley relay team (Kayla Pratt/Rebecca crain/Jayde James/Mecke). Last year’s four individual/relay crowns were the program's most since 1998 and Pratt collected All-America honors at June’s USA Junior Track & Field Championships in the 5,000 meters.
Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Aaron Fox is in his second season as men’s and women’s head coach and 10th at UTSA overall. Fox, who became the only head mentor in conference history to win four straight Southland Indoor Coach of the Year awards last February, has brought in a talented recruiting class that includes nine state champions, 24 2009 state medalists and a pair of San Antonio Express-News all-area selections.
For complete meet information, including live results, click here.
