Chaplin completes hep former Lady'Backs excell

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Junior Etienne Chaplin of the University of Arkansas Lady Razorback track and field team completed her competition at the 2007 USA Track and Field Championships on Saturday with three solid performances in the heptathlon to take 16th in the overall standings.

Former Lady’Back Gi-Gi Miller finished third to be the second former Lady Razorback at the USA meet to earn a spot on the World Championships team that is competing in Osaka Japan later this year.

“Etienne did a fantastic job over the last two days,” Arkansas head coach Lance Harter said. “She finished just below where she was at the NCAA meet and this was with some of the best athletes in the world. It should give her a lot of confidence over the summer and into next year’s track season.”

Opening the day with the long jump, Chaplin launched herself to a distance of 19-1 ½ for 798 points. The distance was just short of her mark at the NCAA meet which was a career best. In the second event of the day, Chaplin threw the javelin 116-4, also just off her career best, but earned an additional 581 points for the effort. She would wrap up the competition with a very competitive 800-meter run of 2:24.03, 14th in the race, leaving her with 5,320 totals points for the competition.

Miller’s day showed why she was one of the best multi-event athletes in the world as she long jumped to 19-11 ¾, threw the javelin 130-8 and ran the 800 meters in 2:18.40. Miller completed the competition with 5,908 points to take third overall.

Carly Bloomfield wrapped up the competition for current Lady Razorbacks on the day with the javelin competition where she finished 15th. Bloomfield would not make the final with her toss of 148-11, but wraps up her Lady Razorback career as the school record holder in the event and as one of the first Lady’Backs to qualify in the javelin in more than a decade.

Also earning a spot on the World Championships roster was Christin (Wurth) Thomas in the 1,500-meter run. Qualifying for the finals with the eighth fastest time, Thomas would hang with the leaders through the opening three laps and make a strong move with 400 meters left. Opening up a solid gap, Thomas would continue to lead for 350 of the final 400 meters, but was passed down the home stretch by the pre-race favorite Trenierre Clement. Thomas would hold on for second place and a spot on the World Championship team, the first international team of her career.

Saturday’s competition for former Lady’Backs was concluded in the opening round of the 200 meters where LaShaunte’a Moore would easily qualify for the semifinals with a time of 23.02. She would record the second fastest time of the competition, but what made her feat even more impressive was that she ran into a 1.9 meters-per-second headwind. Moore advances into the semifinals of the 200 meters which takes place on Sunday afternoon.

The USA Track and Field Championships conclude on Sunday with Moore in the 200 meters and Jodi Unger and April Steiner in the pole vault. For more information about Lady Razorback track or about Arkansas women’s athletics, please go to LADYBACKS.COM.