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Rice University
Conference USA Indoor Championships
Owls Capture First C-USA Women's Track Title
2/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Feb. 24, 2007
Houston -
Rice scored 27 points in the mile and 3000-meters and Chandra Ewing raced to silver in the 400 with a personal-best 55.55 to lead Rice's women to their first Conference USA indoor track and field championship Saturday at Yeoman Fieldhouse. The Owls won the school's first-ever C-USA crown in cross country last year.
With two events to go, after Rachel Greff won the pole vault, the Owls were 8.5 points behind UTEP. Callie Wells led a 4-5-6-7 finish in the 3000 to notch 14 points, and the 4x400 of Brittany Washington, Naquanza Alfred, Shakera Reece and Ewing finished fifth to clinch the team title by 4.5 points over the Lady Miners. Rice finished with 100 points, followed by UTEP with 95.5 and Houston with 91.
"This team really came through when we needed it today," said head coach Jim Bevan, who earned C-USA coach of the year honors. "Everyone from our seniors to our freshmen competed with heart and it's a huge achievement to beat Houston on their home track."
Greff was the lone individual champion for the Owls, clearing a season-best 3.70 meters/12-1.5 to win the vault. Reece, a freshman from Barbados, clocked the second-fastest 60 time in school history at 7.39 to finish fourth in a loaded field and provisionally qualify for the NCAA indoor championships. She also turned in a fifth-place finish in the 200 at 24.68.
Wells placed third in the mile with a 4:56.02, and came back later to finish fourth in the 3000 at 9:58.07. Freshman Nicole Mericle was fifth in the mile, and Lennie Waite finished sixth. Marissa Daniels, who won silver in the 5000 Friday night, added a fifth-place effort in the 3000, with Mericle and Kate Gorry right behind her in sixth and seventh.
Freshman Eunique Hamilton picked up key points in the field events, winning bronze in the triple jump with a 12.21m/40-0.75 on her final attempt. Shardee Caesar was eighth at 11.90m/39-0.5.
Other points came from Ewing (6th) and Lacee Carmon (7th) in the 60 hurdles, and Alfred, who was sixth in the 800. Desarie Walwyn scored in both sprints, taking seventh in the 60 and 200.
Players Mentioned
