FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - A student-athlete setting a career-best mark has become a weekly occurrence for the Tulane track and field squad and it was no different on Saturday at the Tyson Invitational, hosted by the University of Arkansas. Four student-athletes set PR's in the 200-meter event, while Zandria Debowles set a season-best mark in the high jump.
"This was a different kind of meet than we competed in last weekend at Nebraska," said head coach Eric Peterson. "This weekend's races and field events were contests in sections, so the athletes were pretty evenly matched with each other all weekend. Our athletes had a chance to compete against good athletes this weekend, but there wasn't ever a situation that you were advancing or moving forward to a final. To see the majority of our athletes come out and improve today was really satisfying. Right now, we are focusing on being as prepared as we can for the Conference USA Championships in two weeks and we feel as if we are moving in the right direction."
The 200-meter dash event was run as a timed final and the Olive and Blue came away from that event with four of their five runners claiming PR's. Junior Kasey Rodgers placed 20th among her collegiate competitors, breaking the tape in 24.14-seconds. She broke her career mark that she set last weekend in Lincoln, Neb. by .34-seconds to win her heat.
"There is no doubting Kasey's talent or ability to become a great sprinter, in my eyes," Peterson said. "She has worked really hard over the past 12 months on her fitness, her strength and her power and it is all paying off for her in races. It is very exciting to see an athlete get to this point in her career. She has the potential to be a national class sprinter and I think she is moving in that direction right now. She is hopeful for some big time results as we move into the championship season and we are obviously going to do everything we can to support her."
Jamie Riles won her heat in the 200-meter dash, edging teammate Tiffany George who was the runner up in the heat, as she covered the distance in 24.42 to give her the second best 200-meter time on the team this season. Riles broker her previous PR by .51-seconds, a PR that she posted at the 2010 Tyson Invitational.
George set a new personal best with a 24.72 showing and Jerica Banks ran a 25.77 to set a new top mark in her career.
DeBowles was the lone field event participant to record a mark on Saturday, tying for 15th overall in the high jump with a season-best showing. The senior cleared the opening height of 1.63-meters, besting her mark set at the Purple Tiger Invitational in the season opener, and bested six of the 24-person field.
The indoor season will continue next Friday, Feb. 18 when the squad travels to Baton Rouge, La. to take part in the LSU Twilight. The events will begin at 12:30 at the Maddox Field House on the LSU campus.