As regular season nears end, its now or never for Horns

Julie Thompson

March 4, 2011

This weekend, the Longhorns will participate in a trio of last-chance meets — the final opportunity for athletes to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. The team will divide its runners between Arkansas, Iowa State and Notre Dame this Friday and Saturday.

The NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships will be held March 11 and 12 in College Station. Individual Longhorns including junior Mia Behm (5,000 meter) and senior Chantel Malone (long jump) have already qualified for the championship meet. Freshman Briana Nelson qualified in the 400-meter just last weekend at the Big 12 Championships.

Texas has also already qualified for the 4-by-400-meter relay. The relay team, including Nelson, junior Stacey-Ann Smith, Malone and junior Kendra Chambers, qualified with a time of 3 minutes, 32.89 seconds at the Big 12 meet.

Notre Dame will host the Alex Wilson Invitational on Friday at the Loftus Sports Center in Notre Dame, Ind. The meet commences with the women’s weight throw at 5 p.m.

Big 12 teams including Missouri, Kansas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Oklahoma will all participate in the Iowa State meet.

The Longhorns found individual success at the Big 12 meet but finished in a disappointing third place. Head coach Beverly Kearney said the trials of the Big 12 competition helped her team find themselves.

“We came in here with a lot of young people. They had no idea what the intensity is all about,” Kearney said. “Today they know.”

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Texas at Last Chance Mets

Date: Fri. – Sat.

Where: South Bend, Indiana / Fayetteville, Arkansas