JONESBORO, Ark. - Gloria Asumnu, Shanon Beelendorf, Nicolette Taku, and the 4x400-meter relay team all won their respective events as the Tulane University track and field team opened the 2007-08 indoor season Saturday at the Arkansas State Kickoff Klassic. The meet was of the non-scoring variety - teams did not accumulate points - as the senior, Asumnu turned in an NCAA Championship qualifying time of 6.87 seconds in the 55m dash for the Green Wave. Beelendorf placed first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:16.40, and the 4x400-meter relay team of Asumnu, junior Vanessa Kienast, junior Andrea Rosemond and freshman Aieshia Brooks posted a winning time of 3:55.0. The sophomore Taku tied for first in the triple jump with a meet-best mark of 11.48m (37-08.00 feet). "I was satisfied with our performance today," Tulane head coach Heather Van Norman said. "We had some good things happen. It was good to see where we are right now. We obviously have some work to do over Christmas break." Junior Shaina Pelham placed 11th in the 55m preliminaries with a time of 7.33 and freshman Brree Carter placed 20th in the preliminaries of the same event by running 7.61. Sophomore Olivia Kizzee turned in a top ten finish in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.24, and freshman Caitlin Hornbeck ran 6:21.78 in the one-mile run. The Green Wave had three other runner turn in top ten performances in the 800m run, as redshirt-sophomore Valencia Wilson ran 2:22.41, Kienast ran 2:22.50 and Brooks ran 2:23.96. A second team of Wave runners in the 4x44 relay - Pelham, freshman Zandria DeBowles, junior Taneekwa Ross and Wilson - placed fifth in the race with a time of 4:02.86. Sophomore Arielle Minor tied for fifth in the high jump with a mark of 1.58m (5-02.25). Freshman Brree Carter placed seventh in the long jump with a mark of 5.35m (17-07.00), Debowles took 15th with a mark of 4.83m (15-10.50) and Minor placed 17th with a mark of 4.66m (15-03.75). Junior transfer Katarina Busljeta took eighth in the shot put with a mark of 12.11m (39-08.75). Tulane now breaks for final exams and the holiday school break before its next indoor meet. The Wave will return to action Jan. 12 at the Houston Indoor Opener. For all news and information on the Tulane track and field team, visit www.tulangreenwave.com. 55 METER DASH FINALS 200 METER DASH 1 MILE RUN 800 METER RUN 4X400 METER RELAY HIGH JUMP LONG JUMP TRIPLE JUMP SHOT PUT |