Wave of PRs set at Leonard Hilton Invitational

HOUSTON, Texas - Green Wave athletes posted ten personal-best marks as Tulane placed fifth among the sixteen teams at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitational at the University of Houston Friday.


\"Our team is improving,\" head coach Heather Van Norman said. \"My women have worked hard and I believe all hard work pays off.\"


Tulane started with a strong showing in the 5,000-meter run as junior Aubrey Phillips collected a ninth-place finish with a personal-best time of 18:22.13. In the same race, junior Jill Shriver set a personal best with a time of 20:18.02. Phillips would later set a personal best with a time of 2:35.11 in the 800-meter run, and fellow distance runner Lauren Swenson earned a personal best of her own in the mile run.


In the 60-meter dash, senior Gloria Asumnu tied the school record she set last week with a time of 7.40 seconds, good for second place in the event. The time provisionally qualified her for the NCAA national indoor championships, her third qualifying time in three meets. Asumnu was joined in the event\'s finals by sophomore Shaina Pelham, whose time of 7.70 seconds was a personal best. In the preliminary heats, junior Taneekwa Ross and senior Christina Tegbe also recorded personal bests. Ross would also collect a personal best in the 200-meter dash.


Though neither set personal records, junior Shanon Beelendorf and freshman Olivia Kizzee turned in scoring performances for the Wave, finishing fourth and fifth in the 400-meter dash. The two then combined with Pelham and Asumnu to win the 4 x 400 meter relay with a time of 3:48.73. It was the second relay the Wave has won this season, as Tulane also claimed the relay title at the Arkansas State Kickoff Klassic in December.


Tulane closed the day by collecting nine points in the triple jump, as Tegbe claimed third place with a personal-best jump of 11.83 meters and freshman Nicolette Taku earned sixth. Earlier in the day, Taku had won the \"B\" group of the long jump in her first collegiate competition in the event. Her jump of 5.43 meters was good for tenth overall.


Van Norman said she was not concerned about the team score at the meet but rather the individual improvements. \"Our goal is PR\'s to help build confidence in their respective events,\" she said. \"This is only our third meet, and we had many point scorers who weren\'t with us at this meet, so our score at this meet is not a true measure of who we are.\"


The Green Wave will return to action next week, as Tulane will send athletes to the Bayou Bengal Invitational at Baton Rouge, La., and the University of New Mexico Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.


Here are the results from today\'s meet:

5,000-METER RUN
9. Aubrey Phillips, 18:22.13 (Personal Best)
17. Cecilia Clarke, 19:24.68
22. Jill Shriver, 20:18.02 (Personal Best)


60-METER DASH
PRELIMINARIES
2. Gloria Asumnu, 7.46
15. Shaina Pelham, 7.82
19. Taneekwa Ross, 7.86 (Season Best)
25. Kyra Lobbins, 7.94
49. Christina Tegbe, 8.67 (Personal Best)


FINALS
2. Gloria Asumnu, 7.40 (Ties School Record)
12. Shaina Pelham, 7.70 (Personal Best)


MILE RUN
39. Lauren Swenson, 6:24.84 (Personal Best)
40. Arianne Larimer, 6:40.30


400-METER DASH
4. Shanon Beelendorf, 57.99
5. Olivia Kizzee, 58.42


800-METER RUN
26. Aubrey Phillips, 2:35.11 (Personal Best)


200-METER DASH
19. Kyra Lobbins, 26.39
22. Taneekwa Ross, 26.69 (Personal Best)


4 x 400 METER RELAY
1. Pelham - Asumnu - Kizzee - Beelendorf, 3:48.73


SHOT PUT
29. Kimberly Schexnayder, 7.34m (24-01.00)


LONG JUMP
\"B\" GROUP
1. Nicolette Taku, 5.43m (17-09.75)


TRIPLE JUMP
3. Christina Tegbe, 11.83m (38-09.75) (Personal Best)
6. Nicolette Taku, 11.58 (38-00.00)