Rice University Athletics
Owl Track Competes At The Drake Relays
4/27/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Indoor Track
April 27, 2001
DES MOINES, Iowa - Allison Beckford notched the fastest NCAA Division I 400 meter hurdle time, and the men's 4x100 meter relay team recorded a career best 40.68, as the Owls finished day two of competition at the 92nd annual Drake Relays, at the Jim Duncan Track, in Drake Stadium Friday.
Beckford, a sophomore from Westmoreland, Jamaica, continues to improve her times as the weeks progress, having crossed the finish line second in the 400 meter hurdles final, just over one tenth of a second behind Lana Jekabsone of Lewis University. Beckford's time is the fastest in the NCAA this season among Division I competitors, and is also tops in the league. She will look to contend at the NCAA Division I outdoor track and field championships May 30-June 2 in Eugene, Ore. Junior qualified for the 100 meter hurdle finals with a preliminary mark of 13.89. Moseley currently stands atop the conference with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 13.52.
The Owls' Katie Waite and Elizabeth Ruckman, both juniors, ran the newest NCAA women's event, the 3,000 steeplechase. The duo took ninth and 10th, respectively, with Waite finishing in a time of 11:06.38, third fastest in the WAC. Ruckman's mark of 11:09.87 places her fourth in the conference.
The Owls 4x100 relay quartet of seniors Kelechi Anderson, Konnett Mays, LaKeisha Robertson and Moseley clocked a time of 45.38, qualifying for the finals, while the crew of Anderson, Robertson, Beckford and junior Aimee Teteris, won their heat of the Jim Duncan 4x400 meter relay in a time of 3:38.18, also qualifying for the finals on Saturday.
In the field events, sophomore Beth Hinshaw finished the pole vault with a mark of 11-04 1/2, while freshman Ally Daum vaulted to a mark of 10-10 3/4.
On the men's side, Jordan Faykus, Jeff Jorgensen, Adrian Sadler and Vaughn Walwyn ran the 4x100 meter relay in a time of 40.68, a new best for the quartet and a qualifying mark for tomorrow's finals. The 4x400 crew of Rashad Stafford, Jorgensen, Dimitri Thomas and Erik Mazza ran 3:12.28, just shy of tying their season best. Juniors Keith Pierce and Justin Burrow, along with freshman Adam Davis and Mazza, ran to a sixth-place finish in the 4x800 meter relay with a season best 7:25.93.
Stafford qualified for the final day in the 110 meter hurdles with a mark of 14.26, while sophomore Tommy Oleksy won the long jump with a mark of 25-09 1/4.
Competition in "America's Athletic Classic" concludes tomorrow with finals in the women's shot put and relays. The Owls will take the week off for finals, and will return to the track on May 10 when they head to College Station for the Texas A&M Open.
