Notre Dame track and field competes at the Drake Relays and Purdue Invitational

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Alan Wasielewski 219-631-7516

Track and Field Competes at Purdue and Drake

Women's sprinters shine at the Drake Relays and pole vaulter Jaime Volkmer
increases her own school record.

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- (4-28-01) The University of Notre Dame men's
and women's outdoor track and field teams have completed competition in the
Purdue Invitational and Drake Relays. A number of Irish athletes posted
some impressive finishes over the course of the weekend, highlighted by the
women's sprint group that traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Drake
Relays.
The 4x100 relay team of Kristen Dodd (Toledo, Ohio), Liz Grow (New
Braunfels, Texas), Ayesha Boyd (Spartanburg, SC) and Tameisha King
(Mableton, Ga.), who set a new school record earlier in the season at
44.74, placed first in the fifth heat in 45.44. The blistering time
advanced the team to the finals of the 4x100 relay, where they finished
sixth in 45.51.
The sprinters were not done for the weekend, either. The 4x400
relay team of Kymia Love (Memphis, Tenn.), Dodd, Boyd and Grow streaked to
a win in 3:37.06 in the third heat - another school record time. That time
also is fast enough to put the team in contention for a spot at the NCAA
Championship meet in Eugene, Oregon next month.
The 4x400 team moved on to the finals, where they finished fourth
in another great time - 3:37.83.
King also competed in the 100-meter hurdles, where she finished
fourth in her heat with a personal-best 14.12.
The Purdue Invitational group was led by freshman hurdler Mark
Barber (Laingsburg, Ind.), who placed first in the 110-meter hurdles
(14.86) and second in the 400-meter hurdles (56.23).
Mike Mansour (Creston, Iowa) and James Bracken (North Andover,
Mass.) finished second and third, respectively in the 400 meters with times
of 49.19 and 49.36.
Freshman David Alber (Dayton, Ohio) continues to show impressive
improvement in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing second at the Purdue
meet in 9:35.03.
Other top finishers for the men's team in West Lafayette, Ind.,
were Ed Faustin (Manhasset, NY), who took second in the long jump (21-8)
and Quill Redwine (San Antonio, Texas) with a second-place finish in the
triple jump (47-7).
The highlight for the women's team at Purdue was the 12-6 pole
vault clearance of sophomore Jaime Volkmer (Kearney, Neb.). That mark
shatters her own school record of 11-10 and also is an NCAA Championship
qualifying mark. Volkmer is the first Irish women's pole vaulter to clear
the 12-0 barrier.
Both teams now have their sights set on the 2001 BIG EAST Outdoor
Championships, set for this weekend (May 4-6) in Piscataway, NJ.


Alan Wasielewski, Publicity Assistant
University of  Notre Dame Sports Information
112 Joyce Center, Second Floor
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(219) 631-3397/(219) 631-7941 (fax)
cell phone: 219-315-5746
E-mail: [email protected]