Tech grabs fourth place at Vandyerbilt Invitational; Four school records fall

By Rob Schabet
TTU Sports Information
April 24, 2002

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Tech women's track & field team enjoyed one of its best performances of all-time over the weekend, capturing fourth place among 12 teams at the Vanderbilt University Invitational in Nashville, setting four school records in the process. Sophomore Suzanne Roberson accounted for 19 of Tech's 65 total points with second, third and fifth place finishes.

Tennessee State University (166.5 points) edged host Vanderbilt (165) for first place, followed by Middle Tennessee (88.5), Tennessee Tech (65), Rhodes (52), Murray State (43), Austin Peay (43), Western Kentucky (39), UT Martin (16), UA Huntsville (14), Alabama A&M (14), Life University (5), and Lipscomb (5).

Coach Brian Botzman's team will now turn its attention to final preparations for the OVC Outdoor Championships, May 3-4 at Southeast Missouri.

Records fell in two distance events and two field events for the Golden Eagles. In each case, the new record holder broke her own school standard.

Senior Michelle Kline finished fifth at 1,500 meters in the time of 4:41.11, beating her own mark of 4:41.51 set a year ago at the same event at Vanderbilt. In the 3,000 meter run, graduate student Lucy Hale topped her own school mark (10:37.33) when she placed third in the time of 10:30.58.

Freshman Amy Ashe broke the school mark (5-2) in the high jump which she had established just two weeks earlier. She placed fourth by clearing 5-6. Sophomore Suzanne Roberson, who also holds the school records in the shot put and discus, added an inch to her school record in the hammer throw, finishing fifth with a toss of 120-5.

The Golden Eagles scored 19 of their points in the discus, finishing second, third and fourth individually. Roberson claimed second place (132'7"), followed by Ashley Southern (132'4") in third place, and Sherita Moore (130'9") in fourth place.

Other point-winning individual performances by Tech included: Michelle Kline - seventh place at 800 meters in a time of 2:18.80; Richelle Wardell - eighth place in the 3,000 meter run in a time of 11:07.73; Carmen Tucker - sixth place in the 100-meter low hurdles in a time of 15.40; Suzanne Roberson - third place in shot put with a toss of 43-5; Sherita Moore - seventh place in shot put with a toss of 37-11.5; Casey Stinson - eighth place in the hammer throw with a toss of 114-1; Richelle Wardell - sixth in the javelin with a toss of 109-6.

In addition, the Tech 4x100 meter relay team placed sixth, and the 4x400 meter relay team finished seventh, each earning points.