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Goals at NCAA: top-five finishes
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Tennessee's men and women are calling on different sources of strength this weekend at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. What they share in common is ambition for a top-five finish.
The Lady Vols are counting on numbers. Coach J.J. Clark is taking a school-record 13 athletes to the meet at the University of Arkansas' Tyson Track Center for the meet Friday and Saturday.
"We are happy to have that many scoring opportunities,'' Clark said. "What would make me extremely excited would be to have those possibilities come through and actually score.''
The UT men are taking five athletes - but five experienced athletes with scoring potential.
"Everyone of them has competed and scored in an NCAA meet,'' UT men's coach Bill Webb said, "and everyone has run there (at Arkansas) two or three times.''
UT senior Rubin Williams is the nation's leader in the 200 meters, an event in which he finished second last year. Teammate Jangy Addy has the top time in the 60-meter hurdles.
Sophomore Evander Wells is ranked close behind Williams in the 200.
"Two or three guys can really make a difference and Rubin is one of them,'' Webb said.
"This meet is about quality. You could have (only) two guys there and if they win you're in the top 10 in the country.''
Addy also has one of the nation's best scores in the heptathlon. Wells and Williams will double in the 60 meters, along with teammate Matthieu Pritchett.
Senior Mike Hogue finished fifth in the pole vault last year.
The UT women are balanced between sprints and distance.
Courtney Champion, Lynne Layne and Jeneba Tarmoh qualified in the 60 and 200. Cleo Tyson joins them in the 60.
Celriece Law will run the 60 hurdles and LaTonya Loche the 400.
Sarah Bowman is poised for a big run in the mile. She also anchors the distance-medley-relay that includes Phoebe Wright and freshmen Brittany Sheffey and Brittany Jones. Katie Van Horn runs the 5,000.
Freshman Annie Alexander has the No. 2 mark in the shot put.
LSU is the team to beat on the women's side. Florida State and Arizona State are favored in the men's meet.
"If you score 20 points, you'll be in the top 20,'' Webb said. "If you score 30, you'll be top five.
"We have a chance to be in that company.''
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Posted by anthony on March 13, 2008 at 10:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good, go get 'em!
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