University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Women's Track Wraps Up Action At Penn Relays
April 29, 2001
Final Day (Saturday)-Penn Relays
In women's collegiate championship final races on Saturday at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, UCLA senior Shakedia Jones was second in the 100m, UCLA's 4 X 800m relay placed third and the Bruins' 4 X 400m relay was sixth. Saturday was the final day of the Penn Relays.
In the 100m, Jones placed second with a time of 11.45. First-place went to LSU's Muna Lee (11.24) and third-place was Indiana's Rachelle Boone (11.51). On Friday, Jones qualified for the championship race with an 11.41 (season-best, NCAA provisional qualifying mark).
In the 4 X 800m relay, UCLA's third-place time was 8:28.61, a new school record (the Bruins set the record on April 5, winning the event at the Texas Relays, in 8:33.21). Running for the Bruins were senior Bridget Hatch (2:08.8), sophomore Jessica Marr (2:06.2), sophomore Tiffany Burgess (2:07.2) and freshman Lena Nilsson (2:06.4). The first-place relay was Florida (8:24.25) and second-place was Georgetown (8:24.67).
In the 4 X 400m relay, UCLA's sixth-place time was 3:35.38, a season-best and NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Running for the Bruins were freshman Adia McKinnon, freshman Sheena Johnson, freshman Nicole Gaskins and junior Ysanne Williams. The winning relay was South Carolina (3:28.34). UCLA qualified for Saturday's championship race by running a 3:36.38 (second-best time of the season, NCAA provisional qualifier) during Thursday's prelims.
Looking ahead, UCLA's women and men will travel across town on Saturday (May 5) for the annual dual meet with USC. Held at USC Cromwell Field/Loker Stadium, the field events will start at 11 a.m. and the running events at 11:15 a.m.
Day Two (Friday)-Penn Relays
UCLA Senior Shakedia Jones Qualifies for Saturday's 100m Final
On Friday during day-two of the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, UCLA senior Shakedia Jones qualified for Saturday's championship final race in the women's 100m.
In the women's 100m on Friday, there were three heats. Jones won heat two with a time of 11.41 (season-best, NCAA provisional qualifier). Her mark was the second-fastest of the day, trailing only LSU's Muna Lee (11.31). Jones, Lee and seven other runners from Friday's heats will compete in Saturday's final.
UCLA's other participant on Friday was freshman Sani Roseby in the women's 100m hurdles. There were three heats in the event, with Roseby placing sixth in heat three, in a time of 14.33. She did not advance to Saturday's championship final.
On Saturday, the last day of the Penn Relays, the UCLA women will have Jones in the 100m final, the Bruins' 4 X 400m relay in the final and UCLA's 4 X 800m relay. UCLA's 4 X 800m relay set a school record of 8:33.21 on April 5, winning the event at the Texas Relays.
The Penn Relays will conclude on Saturday. The remainder of the Bruin women's team, along with Art Venegas' UCLA men's squad, on Saturday and Sunday will compete in the Cal/Nevada Championships at UC Irvine.
Day One (Thursday)-Penn Relays
UCLA Freshman Sheena Johnson First-Day Standout At Penn Relays
UCLA freshman Sheena Johnson was a standout for the Bruin women on Thursday during the first day of the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. Johnson competed in the 400m hurdles and on both Bruin relays during first day action at the Penn Relays.
In the women's 400m hurdles, there were seven sections. Johnson and Bruin junior Ysanne Williams ran in section one and the top four times from that section were the top four times of the day (a championship final is not run in this event).
The winner was Harvard's Brenda Taylor (56.11), followed by Johnson's 56.23, Texas' Angel Patterson (56.76) and Williams' (57.59). Taylor's time is the top U. S. collegiate mark this season and Johnson's mark is No. 2 in the U. S. Her 56.23 is a personal-best, No. 4 in school history and an NCAA automatic qualifier. Williams' 57.59 is also a personal-best, No. 8 in school history and an NCAA provisional mark.
In the women's 4 X100m relay, there were 11 heats. UCLA ran in heat four, placing first, in a time of 45.29. UCLA's relay team was freshman Sani Roseby, Johnson, freshman Adia McKinnon and senior Shakedia Jones. UCLA's mark did not advance to Friday's collegiate championship race.
In the women's 4 X 400m relay, there were 10 major college heats with the top eight times qualifying for Saturday's collegiate championship. UCLA's relay of freshman Nicole Gaskins, Johnson, Williams and McKinnon, placed second in heat five, with a time of 3:36.38 (season-best outdoor mark, NCAA provisional). The Bruins did advance to Saturday's championship final. The winner of heat five was Clemson (3:35.86) and the top time was turned in by South Carolina (3:33.55).
Johnson, from Stafford, VA Garfield HS, is familiar with the Penn Relays. The 2000 U. S. Junior champion in the 400m hurdles (with her then-personal-best of 56.82), Johnson last season became the first prep in Penn Relays history to win the 400m hurdles three consecutive seasons and was named the Outstanding Female HS Athlete of last year's Penn Relays.
Bruin senior Michelle Perry was scheduled to run on a Bruin relay, but suffered from food poisoning on Thursday and was unable to participate.
In a women's field event on Thursday, Bruin junior Darnesha Griffith placed sixth in the high jump, with a mark of 5-8.