University of Connecticut Athletics
Women's Track Wins Third Consecutive Meet
4/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 15, 2006) - The University of Connecticut women’s track team claimed its third consecutive meet victory with 229.5 points at the Brown Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies were led by NCAA Regional qualifiers Tamara Highsmith (East Haven, Conn.) and Jillian Sullivan (Bristol, Conn.). Highsmith broke the school record in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:00.37. Sullivan qualified for the NCAA Regionals with a 3,000 steeplechase time of 10:37.37, good enough for second place in the event.
It was a successful day for Connecticut all around at Brown. Highsmith nearly recorded another school record on the day with a personal best in the triple jump of 13.02m. This is a half inch short of the school record that was set by All-American Nicole Toney in 2001. Highsmith provisionally qualifies for the NCAAs with this mark. Highsmith also took first place in the 100 hurdles.
Sophomore Orlaith Cunningham (Branford, Conn.) qualified for the BIG EAST Championships with her time in the 5k run. She raced in a time of 17:42.33.
In the sprints, the freshmen group once again dominated across the board. UConn swept the top-three spots in the 100 dash. Kara Budd (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) took first place in the 100 with a time of 11.6. Alyssa Evering (Bel-Air, Md.) took second in the event (12.0) and Monique Hodges (Wethersfield, Conn.) took third (12.1).
In the 200, Jessica Foreman (Wayland, Mass.) finished in first at 24.23. Budd took second in 24.29.
Mandela Graves-Fulgham (Shutesbury, Mass.) ran in a time of 56.11 in the 400 to claim first place in the event.
Competing along with Highsmith in the 400 hurdles were Marlene Priest (South Dennis, Mass.) and freshman Kaitlyn Whitlock (Bethel, Conn.). Priest took second place in the event with a time of 1:01:35 and Whitlock took fourth in 1:05.88.
UConn won both relay events on the day. In the 4x100, the Huskies finished in a time of 46.92 and in the 4x400 they took first in 3:49.69.
In the field events, Leah Williams (Brookfield, Conn.) and Lisa Kackmarsky (Monroe, N.Y.) tied for third place in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.35m. In the long jump, junior Jen Rogers (Parksville, B.C.) took second place with a jump of 5.63m.
Sophomore Erin Donnelly (Barrington, R.I.) placed first in the hammer throw for Connecticut with a distance of 51.90m. Also in the throwing events, freshman Amanda Martin (Rowley, Mass.) finished in second place in the javelin and third in the shot put.
UConn will host its second home meet of the season on April 22 at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex on the Storrs Campus.
