Results

FORT WORTH, Texas (4/19/08) The University of North Texas track and field team recorded two new NCAA Midwest Regional qualifying marks and two school records Saturday at the TCU Invitational in Fort Worth.

In all, North Texas has now qualified a total of 15 athletes in nine separate events for the NCAA regionals to be held May 30-31 in Lincoln, Neb.

“To win an individual title at our conference meet, you pretty much have to tally a regionally qualifying mark,” said head track and field coach Rick Watkins. “We have to be at that level if we want to be able to compete at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships.”

Toby Edwards and Alana Tyler became the newest North Texas track athletes to punch their ticket to the regional meet. Edwards, a junior from Athens, Texas, finished first in the high jump with his season-best height of 6-10.75. It is the second consecutive season that Edwards has qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regionals.

Tyler, a junior from Dallas, regionally qualified and broke her own school record in the hammer throw with a toss of 178-04; nearly 10 inches further than the previous school record that Tyler broke last season. With the toss, Tyler’s mark currently ranks second best in the Sun Belt this season.

Lauren Wiggins and Alysha Adams took first and third respectively in the 100-meter hurdles. After taking last week off due to injury, Wiggins returned in grand fashion, breaking her own school record and improving on her regional mark with a time of 13.52. Adams, the 2008 Sun Belt Indoor Freshman of the Year, also improved on her regional time, clocking in at 13.83.

 “We keep improving every week,” Watkins said. “Hopefully this gives us confidence heading into our final few meets before conference.”

The North Texas track and field team will next return to Fouts Field for the Mean Green Twilight on Thursday, April 24. The hammer throw will kick off the field events at 10 a.m., with the field events starting at 5 p.m. with the 4X100 relay.