University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Look To Claim BIG EAST Outdoor Championship
5/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
May 4, 2011
Free Live Web Streaming | Heat Sheets | Live Results
Championship Central
STORRS, Conn. - The Connecticut women's track and field team will head to Philadelphia, Pa. to compete at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships held at the Jumbo Elliot Track on the campus of Villanova University. The Huskies are looking to break through the Louisville barrier and win the team title for the first time since 1995. UConn has placed second the last two seasons while Louisville has claimed the team title for three consecutive years.
The BIG EAST will provide free live web streaming during the Championships with live results throughout the weekend.
Throughout the season, senior All-American Trisha-Ann Hawthorne has been the focal point of UConn's success. The BIG EAST Championships will be just another stage for Hawthorne to set new standards in the conference record books.
 | "The BIG EAST Championship seems to come up quicker each year, but once again things have come together and we are prepared to make a run at the title. Our seniors have been a part of 12 championship teams (out of 17) and are certain to expect another championship performance their final time out. Obviously, Trisha Ann leads the team but with several other possible 'champions' and point scorers, our intentions are clear." Head Coach William Morgan |
The 100m prelims take place on Saturday at 3 p.m. with the finals on Sunday at 12:20 p.m.
The 200m prelims begin at 4:40 p.m. on Saturday with the finals starting at 1:20 on Sunday.
Hawthorne, the BIG EAST 2009 and 2010 Most Outstanding Track Performer, comes into the weekend with eight individual BIG EAST titles to her name. The senior sprinter has won the 100m and 200m and three consecutive seasons while anchoring the 4x100m relay to victory in each of the last two seasons.
With a victory in all-three events, Hawthorne will become the all-time leader in BIG EAST Conference Outdoor Championship history with 11 individual titles. Seton Hall's Flirtisha Harris recorded 10 individual titles from 1991-1994.
Hawthorne currently owns the top time in the Conference this year in the 100m (11.31) and 200m (23.58).
Hawthorne has the chance to become the first person in BIG EAST history, men or women, to win two events in four consecutive seasons.
"Trisha is a vision of what any Division I athlete should be and should hope to become. After this weekend, she'll leave her footprint in the cement of the BIG EAST Championships. She'll probably wind up being the best sprinter in BIG EAST history as far as consistency and the amount of high level performances she's produced over the years at the championship. I couldn't be any prouder of her," said Associate Head Coach Clive Terrelonge.
The Huskies will be looking for revenge of sorts against Louisville after the Cardinals won the 2011 BIG EAST Indoor Championship by just 1.5 points.
Along with Hawthorne, UConn will bring one other former BIG EAST Outdoor Champion with sophomore Whitney Holder in the long jump. Holder currently ranks second in the Conference with a top jump of 6.26m (20' 6.25"). Louisville's Charachesicia Lockhart holds the top mark at 6.29m (20' 7.75").
Connecticut will look for the coveted first-second, and hopefully third, placing in the 800m. UConn will enter the weekend with the second, fourth and eighth-best times in the BIG EAST.
UConn's trio of All-American mid-distance runners are all poised for BIG EAST hardware. Junior Heather Wilson and sophomore Brigitte Mania placed first and second at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships earlier this year. Wilson owns the second-best time in the 800m (2:05.18) while Mania ranks fourth in the Conference (2:07.15). Senior Leah Andrianos placed second in the 1,000m during the indoor campaign and ranks eighth in the 800m this year at 2:08.57.
"The 800 is going to be such a battle for the individual title this year," distance coach Andrea Grove-McDonough said. "There are at least three or four athletes capable of breaking the 2:05 mark that toe the line, so it's going to take a great performance to win it. Heather will be in the mix all the way, along with Brigitte Mania who is running terrific right now. Either one of those women could bring home the title."
That trio will combine with senior Meghan Cunningham looking to take the title in the 4x800m. The foursome recently broke their own UConn record in the event, running 8:33.94. The team placed second last year in the 4x800m relay in heartbreaking fashion, falling by just .67 seconds to Georgetown.
Freshman distance specialist Lauren Sara looks to make an immediate impact on the BIG EAST landscape in the 10,000m. She currently ranks second in the Conference at 34:26.01. Sara performed brilliantly at the Indoor Championships in February, breaking the UConn record in the 5,000m en route towards a seventh place finish.
"Meghan Cunningham will be looking for a top three finish in the steeple and freshman Lauren Sara is on a tear and will stick her nose in the front pack and try to grab as many points as possible and come away with a great PR," Grove-McDonough said. "Leah Andrianos has been racing great all season so she will be looking to score in a great women's 1500m field. I'm excited for the competition and how the team is looking at this stage in the season. They are ready to go."
Redshirt senior Tynisha McMillian will look for her first BIG EAST Outdoor title this weekend. She won the 2009 Indoor shot put title and currently ranks ninth in the Conference at 14.62m (47' 11.75").
The UConn underclassmen will be major factors in the relays this weekend. Joining Hawthorne in the 4x100m will likely be sophomore Kristen Brown and freshmen Celina Emerson and Madalayne Smith. The foursome ran a top time this season of 46.36 at the Larry Ellis Invitational back on April 23 in Princeton, N.J.
Emerson will also be featured in the 4x400m relay that broke a 19-year old UConn record at the Penn Relays last weekend. Emerson was joined by freshmen Imani Sudlow and Tiffany Daley before handing off to sophomore Ana Groff as the anchor. The foursome ran 3:41.84, breaking the UConn 4x400 record that was set back in 1992.
Be sure to check UConnhuskies.com throughout the weekend and follow the links at the top of the page for the latest news, results and video from the 2011 BIG EAST Outdoor Championships.
Players Mentioned
