What began in the cold rain Thursday ended on a sunny Saturday afternoon with yet another two school records for the UCF outdoor track & field program at the Penn Relays. The Knights wrapped up their three days at the event held at historic Franklin Field with two more school records in the 4×400- and 4×800-meter relays.
“We ran well today, I thought,” head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert said. “Two school records at the Penn Relays against some very formidable opponents is always nice. We know we have some work to do moving forward as we prepare for the conference meet and we know that starts with the Twilight on Thursday.”
After qualifying ninth overall on Thursday afternoon for the top spot in the College Division final, UCF’s 4×400-meter relay team dominated Saturday afternoon. In the final event of the weekend for the Knights, the foursome of Champelle Brown, Afia Charles, Sandy Jean and Aurieyall Scott combined to run a program-record 3:36.76 to claim first place.
Smith Gilbert shook up the relay team, which had set the previous record of 3:39.60 just two weeks ago at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville. Jean and Scott were added to the event this weekend and moved into the third and fourth legs for Saturday’s final; flipping Scott from fourth on Thursday. It was a good move as the Knights shattered the previous mark by nearly three seconds en route to claiming first place.
The 4×800-meter relay team also broke a record in the final day of competition from Philadelphia. UCF’s team of Ne’Ausha Logan, Carley Dart, Erica Winston and Dan’Elle Bellamy placed 10th in a record time of 9:00.50, eclipsing the old mark set two years ago of 9:01.70.
The Knights have now broken the school records in the 4×100-, 4×200-, 4×400- and 4×800-meter relays during the 2011 outdoor season.
In the Championship of America final heat of the 4×200-meter relay, UCF’s Dominique Booker, Sonnisha Williams, Lynne Layne and Sheila Paul combined to finish fourth in 1:34.18. The Knights qualified sixth in 1:34.33 Friday afternoon.
UCF was also represented by two individuals in the finals of the 100-meter hurdles and the 100-meters on Saturday. Jackie Coward ran to a fifth-place finish in the finals of the 100-meter hurdles in 13.63 after posting the fastest-qualifying time on Friday. Booker was the lone UCF entrant in the finals of the 100 meters, finishing ninth in 11.68.
UCF Track & Field – The Penn Relays, Philadelphia, Pa. – Franklin Field, Day 3 – April 30, 2011
4×200-Meter Relay (Championship of America)
4×400-Meter Relay
4×800-Meter Relay
100-Meter Hurdles
100 Meters