NBCI up next for No. 11 women's track

FAYETTEVILLE – No. 11 Arkansas Razorback women’s track and field will continue the 2010 indoor season with the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, at the Armory Track Center, in New York, N.Y., Fri.-Sat., Feb. 5-6.

Boston College, No. 3 BYU, No. 23 Connecticut, Duke, Georgetown, Houston, No. 4 LSU, Michigan, No. 25 North Carolina, Ohio State, No. 15 Oklahoma, Princeton, Rutgers, Seton Hall, No. 10 South Carolina, Syracuse, Temple, No. 5 Tennessee, Texas, No. 1 Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Wisconsin, No. 12 Villanova and No. 20 Virginia Tech will be competing with the Hogs at the Armory Track Center Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, events begin at 10 a.m. CST. On Saturday, events begin at 8:15 a.m. CST. Live results can be found at ArkansasRazorbacks.com or ArmoryTrack.com. A complete meet recap will available at ArkansasRazorbacks.com shortly after the final event.

The Razorbacks are seated at No. 11 and are one of six SEC schools in the current USTFCCCA poll. The LSU Tigers are No. 4, the Tennessee Lady Vols are No. 5, the Florida Gators rank ninth, the South Carolina Gamecocks are 10th and Auburn is No. 17.

Arkansas student-athletes, senior Karen Thomas, junior Shelise Williams, junior Edina Brooks and freshman Regina George, hold the leading time in the NCAA in the 4×400-meter relay (3:34.80). Additionally, Arkansas student-athletes hold the leading marks in the SEC in the 400 meters (Williams), the 5,000 meters (Miranda Walker), the 4×400-meter relay and the distance medley relay.

Senior Katie Stripling and sophomore Tina Sutej have already punched their tickets to the NCAA Indoor Championships in March in Fayetteville. Both cleared the auto pole vault height of 13-11.25 at the 2010 opener. Williams and George in the 400 meters, freshman Stephanie Brown and sophomore Kristen Gillespie in the 800 meters and Brown in the mile all dipped below the NCAA provisional qualifier. The Razorbacks also picked up provisional qualifiers from senior Janice Keppler in the pole vault, in the 4×400-meter and distance medley relays.

For the second week in a row, Brown has been named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, it was announced on Tuesday. Brown competed in the mile and as the 800-meter leg of the distance medley relay at the Texas A&M Challenge this weekend. She finished second in the mile with a time of 4:46.40. Her time is a season best, an NCAA provisional qualifier, ranks No. 13 in the NCAA (second among freshmen) and No. 3 in the SEC (first among freshmen).

As the 800-meter leg of the DMR, she clocked a split of 2:07.62 and the quartet combined for a time of 11:15.70. The DMR time is a season best, an improved NCAA provisional qualifier, ranks No. 2 in the NCAA and leads the SEC.

Brown is now provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in three events. Her season best in the 800 meters (2:05.08) ranks No. 3 in the NCAA (first among freshmen) and No. 3 in the SEC (first among freshmen).

Download: 2.5-6.10 NBCI.pdf