Feb. 26, 2011
2011 Tulane Top Times List (PDF) HOUSTON - The Tulane track and field program wrapped up competition at the 2011 Conference USA Indoor Championships on Saturday (Feb. 26) with a ninth place finish and 31 total team points. Kasey Rodgers andRebecca Coady each scored twice on the final day of competition to lead the team and Jamie Riles placed fifth in the 400-meter dash to highlight the final day at Yeoman Fieldhouse. "Kasey, Raquelle and Rebecca really led our team at the championships this season," said Tulane head coachEric Peterson. "We were well behind everyone in the final standings last season, but this season the competitive spirit of our team really shined. Our scoring was balanced this season, with Kasey and Rebecca scoring in two events and Raquelle placing fourth in the long jump. (A competitive team) is the type of team we want to have and they showed that this weekend. The positive example that they showed is exactly what we want form out leaders." Rodgers competed in the 60-meter and 200-meter dash finals on Saturday and the junior walked away with a sixth place and fifth place finish, respectively. In the 60-meter event, Rodgers posted the team's second fastest time of the season in the event at 7.41, finishing just one-one thousandth of a second behind the fifth place finisher from UCF. Later, in the 200-meter dash final, Rodgers grabbed her second fastest time of the season with a 24.28 mark to place fifth overall. Coady had a solid day in the distance events, setting a new personal best in both events which she competed in. The senior opened the day with a sixth place finish in the mile run, setting a new career mark of 4:58.25 and closed out her indoor career with a fourth place finish in the 800-meter run. Coady ran a time of 2:13.63, which eclipsed the mark she set on Friday (Feb. 25) and bested her previous best set during the 2008 indoor campaign. In the 400-meter dash, Riles posted her second fastest time of the season at 56.38 and placed fifth overall to grab four more points for the Olive and Blue. The sophomore then anchored the 4x400-meter Relay squad to a fourth place showing to wrap up the Green Wave's stay at the indoor championships.
"We had a number of performances that exceeded their rankings entering the meet," Peterson said. "We had Raquelle, that came into the meet ranked in the teens, finish fourth and a number of other performers really had good showing. The number of personal best performances was great. But having said that, we are not satisfied with a ninth place finish. Where we were a year ago and where we are today, I am proud of the way these kids performed and I know that our student-athletes are committed to the goal of one day winning this meet." The Green Wave will open the outdoor season by hosting the Tulane Team Challenge on March 9 at Tad Gormley Stadium. A complete competition schedule will be posted later this week.