The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Alabama Relays
Relay Teams, Cid Claim Firsts At Alabama Relays
3/24/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
March 24, 2012
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Clara Cid claimed a first-place finish in the 1,500-meter run and UAB captured first in a pair of relay races to highlight the Blazers' performances Saturday at the Alabama Relays.
Cid, a senior from Zaragaza, Spain, raced to a time of 4:38.53 to best runner-up Megan Klein of Louisville (4:40.72) in the 1,500.
Meanwhile, the Blazers also won titles in the 400-meter relay and the distance medley relay. The UAB foursome of Kelli Smith, Angel Watson, Thelyssa Katchen and Alexis Bates clocked a time of 46.04 in the 4x100 relay to defeat the Alabama team that finished at 46.19.
In the distance medley, the Blazers' group of Lucy Taylor, Jenna Wesley, Lauren Fayen and Sarah Hudak won with a time of 11:36.98 with the closest competitor - the team from Alabama - finishing nearly 20 seconds behind at 11:56.
"We had a great season opening meet," said head coach Kurt Thomas. "It seemed like we were winning something every time I looked up. That's a lot of fun for the girls after all the hard work they've been putting in. The win in the 4x100 was pretty satisfying. We haven't had the best luck in that relay the past few years, so for them to come out and get the stick around the track well was great, and to get a win was big, too.
"The DMR looked good. Jenna Wesley had a very good meet. She's battled some injuries this freshman season, but she came out and performed really well all weekend. Clara had a good win in the 1,500m, and Alexis ran a great season-opening race in the invite 100m against some Olympians and former NCAA Champions.
"Overall, this was as good of a season-opening meet as we've had at UAB in a long time. We have a week to train before we get into the meat of our season, and hopefully can build upon this."
Other UAB finishes Saturday also included a third-place effort by junior Akira McSwain in the 100-meter hurdles as she finished with a personal-best time of 14.04. Blazer freshman Toni Hawkins was fourth in the pole vault as she cleared the bar at 11-1 3/4. Shelby Barker finished seventh in the triple jump at 37-9 1/2.
Bates was fifth in the 100-meter dash invitational and first among collegiate competitors with a time of 11.85.
