April 19, 2012

C-USA OTF Notebook #4

MEMPHIS, Tenn.- Memphis track and field squads return to action this weekend at the War Eagle Invitational hosted by Auburn University. With two meets left before the C-USA Outdoor Championships, the Tigers look to build on a string of strong performances.

"This meet at Auburn is a pivotal weekend for us," said head coach Kevin Robinson. "This is the point of the season when we start to back off on the training a little bit, and start to think about getting a little sharper for the C-USA Championships and the post-season. This is the time when we have to buckle-down and put up some big marks."

Day one of the War Eagle Invitational kicks off Friday at 4:30 p.m. with the men's and women's hammer throw, javelin throw. The meet continues on Saturday with a full slate of track and field events set to being at 11:30 a.m. Results from the War Eagle Invitational will be posted on GoTigersGo.com as they are made available.

Runners Seeking NCAA Berth
While a majority of the Tiger track and field squads make the trip to Auburn, four Memphis distance runners will make a push to qualify for the NCAA post-season. Louisa Lingley, James Maglasang and Fabian Fiege are in Walnut, California for the 54th Annual Mt. Sac Relays, while Dan Kuhman readies for a run at the Kansas Relays.

On the West Coast, Lingley and Maglasang will run in the 1,500m run, while Fiege chases the post-season in the 800m run. In Kansas, Kuhman will run in the men's 10,000m run. Results from both events will be posted on GoTigersGo.com as they are made available.

Where the Tigers Stand
Memphis enters the weekend with the men's and women's teams ranked in the USTFCCCA South Region top 15. This week the men moved up one position to the number 12 spot, while the women made their first appearance of the outdoor season in the top 15 ranked at number 15.

Two Tigers make an appearance in the NCAA Division I top 30 with individual performances. Sophomore Darius Lynwood (2.18m) is tied for 16th in the men's high jump. Senior pole vaulter Karlis Pujats ranks 30th with his school-record vault of 5.26m.

On the NCAA Division I East Qualifier List, Lynwood checks in at ninth in the high jump, with Pujuats standing at 15th in the pole vault. Senior hurdler Robert Jackson is back in the NCAA East 110m hurdles top 20 with his latest performance of 10.05 leaving the senior tied for 18th. Freshman Xenia Rahn makes her first appearance in heptathlon checking in at 12th.

Lynwood, Pujats, and Jackson currently rank first in their respective events in C-USA, while Rahn ranks second. Memphis holds a combined 42 top 10 positions in the C-USA individual event rankings.

Last Time Out
Allison Hotz, Louisa Lingley, Darius Lynwood and Fabian Fiege took individual titles at the Mississippi Open hosted by Ole Miss. Lynwood took first in the men's high jump and tied a school record clearing the bar at 2.18m.

Hotz placed in the top spot with a throw of 14.06m in the women's shot put. Lingley (2:11.75) ran away with first in the women's 800m run, while Fiege (1:51.61) took the top spot for the men.

Running at the Sea Ray Relays hosted by the University of Tennessee, sophomore Kala Funderburk set a new school record and took first in the women's 400m dash crossing the line at 53.97. Funderburk surpassed Wanda Hooker's time of 54.40 set in 1979.