Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Women's Track And Field Looking For First BIG EAST Title

Feb. 14, 2001

Complete Release in PDF Format, including updated top times and complete competitors list for this weekend.
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WHO:

Notre Dame women’s track and field team

WHAT:

The 2001 BIG EAST Indoor Championship

WHERE:

Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY

WHEN:

Saturday, Feb. 17 – Sunday, Feb. 18, all day

Irish ready to compete in 2001 BIG EAST indoor championship at the Carrier Dome:

The University of Notre Dame women’s track and field will be competing for its first BIG EAST team title at the 2001 BIG EAST Indoor Championship this weekend in Syracuse, NY.

The Irish have finished as high as third at the meet (1999) and are coming off a sixth-place showing at the 2000 indoor championship.

Junior sprinter Liz Grow (New Braunfels, Texas) will be defending her 400-meter title she won in 55.27 last year. Grow has dominated the field in her previous three meets this season, posting the team’s top times in the 60 (7.56), 200 (24.24) and 400 meters. She blistered the field in the Meyo Invitational 400 meter competition, finishing first in 53.30. That time ranks first by over a second in the BIG EAST rankings entering this weekend’s competition. Her 60-meter time ranks fourth in the league while the 24.24 in the the 200 meters is second this season.

Even as Grow has swept through the sprint events this season, her teammates have not been far behind. Freshman Ayesha Boyd (Spartanburg, SC) provides solid depth for the team in the 60 and 200 meters, ranking in the top 10 in the conference in both events.

Long jump All-American Tameisha King (Mableton, Ga.) also has excelled in the 60 meters this season, running a 7.69 at last weekend’s Windsor Team Challenge.

King provides the Irish a triple-threat, as the sophomore will contend for first in the 60 meters, 60-meter high hurdles and the long jump. Her hurdle time of 8.56, also run at the Windsor Team Challenge last week, ranks fifth-best in the conference. King will be the first Irish hurdler to contend at the conference championship since Dominique Calloway won the event in 1997.

King also is entering the championship on a hot streak. In addition to posting season-best times in the 60 meters and 60-meter hurdles at the Windsor Team Challenge last weekend, she leapt 20-0 1/4 in the long jump, another season-best for the sophomore and the best distance in the conference this season. King finished second in the long jump (20-4 1/2) at the indoor meet last year.

The Irish have displayed depth in the pole vault this season in addition to the sprint lane. School-record holder Jaime Volkmer (Kearney, Neb.) enters the competition with the second-best height of the conference season (12-0). Volkmer, who finished second in the event at the 2000 BIG EAST indoor meet, will be joined in the competition by three Irish vaulters, each of whom could contend for the conference title. Natalie Hallett (Hungtington Beach, Calif.), Jill VanWeelden (Scottsdale, Ariz.) shared the school record at one point this season while Bethany Wilson (San Rafael, Calif.) matched her season-best effort (10-6) last weekend at the Winsdor Team Challenge. All four Notre Dame pole vaulters are ranked in the top 10 in the BIG EAST this season.

In the distance lane, Chrissy Kuenster (Wheaton, Ill.) enters the 5,000 meters with the eighth-best time in the conference. Sophomore Jenn Handley (Barrie, Ontatrio) will compete in both the mile run and 3,000 meters. Handley currently ranks sixth in the league in the mile (4:53.67).

Notre Dame in the BIG EAST indoor championship:

2000 6th 68.5 pts.

1999 3rd 100 pts.

1998 9th 43 pts.

1997 6th 59 pts.

1996 11th 30 pts.

The Irish have won two individual titles (JoAnna Deeter in the 5,000 meters (’99) and Grow in the 400 meters last season).

Notre Dame competitor list for the 2001 BIG EAST Indoor Championship: Amanda Alvarez, Emily Bienko, Ayesha Boyd, Leanne Brady, Kristen Dodd, Rachel Endress, Jennifer Fibuch, Kristen Flood, Liz Grow, Natalie Hallett, Jenn Handley, Megan Johnson, Jennifer Kearney, Tameisha King, Chrissy Kuenster, Betsy Lazzeri, Kymia Love, Ana Morales, Bridget O’Brien, Megan Peterson, Jill Van Weelden, Jaime Volkmer and Bethany Wilson.