Tulane University
Steve Scott Invitational
Sprinters Shine at Steve Scott Invitational
May 1, 2011 | Track & Field
May 1, 2011
IRVINE, Calif. - When opportunity presents itself, you must take advantage of it and on Saturday (April 30) and Sunday (May 1) the Tulane track and field program did just that with the chance to compete on the West coast. The Steve Scott Invitational, hosted by U.C. Irvine was the stage that many Green Wave student-athletes used to continue their growth and set many season and career-bests.
"Coming to the Steve Scott Invitational, we knew this was a great opportunity for our student-athletes to be exposed to the west region and some of the strong teams and athletes that compete," said Tulane head coach Eric Peterson. "I am really happy for the athletes that stepped forward and continued to improve this weekend. We produced many other strong performances that are indicators that our kids are moving in the right direction and getting ready for the conference meet. We had several strong showings and several new lifetime bests, so to see our kids perform well in a in a different part of the nation and in a different climate, I was pleased with the overall effort and some of the results that were produced."
The 400-meter hurdle event continues to be a strong point of the squad in 2011, as Zandria Debowles and Candice St. Etienne each finished among the top-ten in a field of amateur and professional athletes. DeBowles placed second in the fastest heat of the event in her second fastest time of the season. Her mark of 59.66 was just behind a member of the Puma Track Club and nearly a full second clear of her nearest collegian competitor. St. Etienne was the fifth fastest collegian in the event and crossed the finish line in a career-best 61.31-seconds to win her heat.
"We knew what Zandria was capable of in (the hurdles)," said Peterson. "She is an older member of our team and we knew the type of athlete and competitor that she was. So to see her preform so well after missing last season with an injury is great. We also knew that Candice had a lot of talent and potential and she continues get better every time out. She is making significant strides and is really starting to improve at the right time. We hope they both continue this trend as we head to the postseason."
There were a heap of season-best performances on the track on Saturday and a handful of career-best marks set in the sprinting events. Tiffany George ran the team's fastest time of the season in the 200-meter dash as she placed second in the event to a member of the Run with Us/Mizuno Running Club. Her mark of 23.83 won the second heat of the competition and was one of three career-best showings in the event for the Green Wave. Tiffanie Smith placed second in the third heat of the afternoon in 24.53-seconds, while Jerica Banks was runner up in the sixth heat in a career-best 25.21.
On the men's side of things, Chris Arechiga and Koplan Nwabuoku each set new season-best times, with Arechiga running a career-best in the event. Nwabuoku started the event with a showing of 22.48, the second fastest time of the season for Tulane, while Arechiga followed one heat later with a 22.52 mark to account for his new career setting performance.
"We performed really well on the track today," Peterson said. "Coach Roseby is an excellent young coach and has done a great job in developing the skills and the talent that we have on this team. I am not surprised with our marks (today) because they continue to work hard in practice and are dedicated themselves to improving each day. We are making these strides at the right time as we look towards the conference championship."
Brree Carter highlighted the team's performances on Saturday evening when she set a new career-best mark in the long jump. The senior posted her career-best distance in her second jump of the competition, landing 5.74-meters away from the takeoff board. Junior Raquelle Collins also competed in the event, jumping 5.45-meters.
"It's nice to have two good long jumpers right now that are pushing each other," said Peterson. "They are very good friends and have been really pushing each other in practice and in competition. Brree and Raquelle are both jumping really well right now and are looking to challenge for points at the Conference USA meet. Brree really stepped out at this meet and jumped very well with a stiff wind in her face on Saturday night."
Julius Warmsley also had a solid competition as he threw both the discus and the javelin against a solid field. The freshman tossed the javelin 54.42-meters on Saturday evening and followed that with a distance of 39.36-meters. The toss gives him the top mark of the season for the Green Wave in the discus and is the third straight meet in which he has set a new career-best.
The next competition for the Green Wave is scheduled to be next weekend in Tallahassee, Fla. where they will take part in the FSU Twilight. The meet is schedule for Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7.
--TulaneGreenWave.com--
Players Mentioned
