USF Quad Schedule of Events
TAMPA - The University of South Florida track and field team wraps up its 2009 outdoor home schedule Saturday by hosting the USF Quad. Competition is scheduled to begin in the field events at 9 a.m. Eastern with the track events beginning at noon.
Fifty-five student-athletes will compete in 20 different events, representing the Bulls against athletes from Michigan State, Miami (Ohio) and Northeastern. The Bulls Varsity Club will also be hosting a 2009 Cross Country/Track & Field Reunion in conjunction with the quad meet, with more than 70 of the programs alumni scheduled to attend.
The Bulls enter Saturday's meet in search of another all-around performance, with nine student-athletes qualified for NCAA competition in 10 events and 25 qualified for BIG EAST competition after just two meets.
The throwers ? one of the most successful contingents for the “Green & Gold” this season ? lead off the meet with discus competition at 9 a.m. Every member of the USF female throwers has qualified for conference competition in at least one event, with rookie Atasha Warren surpassing the standard in three events ? hammer, discus and shot put ? so far this season. Fellow freshman Lauren Noe has been equally impressive, setting a USF freshman record in the hammer throw her last time out with a toss measuring 163-6, while senior Jazmine Highsmith set a personal best at the Bulls Invite with a 159-1.
Javelin specialists Casey Wagner and Jara Cornett have dominated the competition so far this season, each posting a pair of NCAA qualifying marks in the event in as many meets. Wagner opened her collegiate career in spectacular fashion at the USF Open, setting the school record with a 150-11 toss. Rookie Sarah Canter rounds out the female throws crew for the Bulls, entering South Florida Quad competition in the hunt for her second and third conference qualifying marks.
Senior Tyler Perkins is the front runner in men's throws competition, posting an NCAA qualifying mark of 169-8 in the discus at the USF Open. Rookie Jared Thomas is following in Perkins' footsteps, posting a BIG EAST qualifying 169-02 in discus competition his last time out. Perkins will also feature in hammer and javelin competition at the South Florida Quad, with freshman Marcus Hicks rounding out the field in the hammer.
The Bulls will look to the pole vault for points, as the duo of Stephanie Duffy and Dana Webb are putting together standout sophomore seasons after both clearing the 13-foot plateau in the first two meets. Senior Melissa Cousin and junior Jennifer Ross will also feature in pole vault competition, looking to improve on their personal bests of 11-11.75 and 10-6, respectively. Rookie Kirk Dandridge and combined events specialist Grant Scelzi will feature for USF in men's pole vault competition, with Dandridge clearing the bar at a career-best 15-7 in his first collegiate outdoor action.
Errol Blackmon and Michael Kursteiner are scheduled to represent the “Green & Gold” in high jump, both having posted NCAA qualifying marks in the first competition of the outdoor season. Blackmon most recently set a personal best at the Bulls Invite, clearing the bar at 7-1, while Kursteiner will look to match the feat and surpass his 6-10.75 career best. Combined events specialist Sara Williams leads the Bulls in women's high jump competition, along with freshmen Alex Rosenberger and Eniola Akinrinade.
Kursteiner will also take on added event responsibilities for USF this weekend, featuring in both long jump and triple jump competition while senior decathlete Tony Zanella will also see action in both horizontal jumps events. On the women's side junior Samantha Shade sets the pace in the horizontal jumps after qualifying for BIG EAST triple jump competition in her first outdoor action last weekend. Shade will look to add to her conference repertoire in South Florida Quad long jump competition and will be joined by sophomore Rachel Etienne, senior Vanetta Randle and freshman Brittany Willis in the events.
USF will rely on hurdles specialists Glenn Fowler and Yvana Hepburn to maintain their dominance in the 110m hurdles and 100m hurdles, respectively. Fowler ? the reigning BIG EAST Male Track Athlete of the Week ? set the school record in the 110m hurdles at the USF Open with an NCAA qualifying 13.94 while also qualifying in 400m hurdles competition at the Bulls Invite with a 52.50. Hepburn enters quad competition in the hunt for her third first-place finish in the 100m hurdles in as many attempts as she continually improves on her career-best, currently boasting an NCAA qualifying 13.76.
Fellow hurdles specialist Kendale McDaniel will join Fowler in both 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles competition, already a BIG EAST qualifier in the former. Rookie David Aristil will join the two veterans in his first collegiate 400m hurdles competition while combined events specialists Williams and Etienne will join Hepburn in the 100m hurdles. Women's 400m hurdles competition will also feature BIG EAST qualifier Kayla Richmond and freshman Alex Rosenberger, who enters the meet on the brink of surpassing the conference standard with a career best in the 1:04 range.
USF Quad sprints competition will also see a strong group of competitors representing the event hosts, with BIG EAST 200m dash qualifier Greg Fontus leading the way. Fontus and D'Andre Ruff will feature for the Bulls in the 100m and 200m dash competition, while Randle, Willis, Akinrinade and Shambrey Oliver will also compete in the events.
Freshman Shaniel Chambers will look to transfer her success in the indoor 500m to the outdoor 400m, competing in the event along with senior Ashley Grigsby, Etienne and Oliver. Junior Josh Wimbley leads the Bulls in men's 400m competition, after finishing fourth in the event at the BIG EAST Indoor Championship and will be joined by fellow BIG EAST Indoor qualifier Reshaw Exilien in the event.
Chambers and Grigsby are also scheduled to represent the Bulls in the 800m along with sophomore Megan Smithyman. Senior Carlan Arthur is set to make his return from injury, looking to join Mikail Ebanks as a conference qualifier in 800m competition.
The Bulls have also put themselves in prime position to score in both the men's and women's distance competitions. Rookie Yasmin Smith and sophomore Natalie Brethauer will represent USF in 1,500m competition while Allie Prendergast, Devin Spoerle, Kristy Cooper and Kelly Savery will run the 3,000m. On the men's side, Arthur, junior Ryan Courtoy and sophomores Pedro Carela and Kyle VanZile will feature in 1,500m competition while Carela and VanZile are scheduled to join freshman Phillip Wise in the 3,000m. Rookie Christine Johnston and senior Danielle Harris round out the distance field in 3,000m steeplechase competition.
After wrapping up their 2009 home schedule the Bulls head north to Gainesville, Fla. to compete in the Florida Relays April 3-4.
