Tech track & field team looking for success at OVC meet this weekend

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech women’s track & field team is at the top of its game as it heads to the Ohio Valley Conference championships this weekend in Richmond, Ky. The meet, hosted by Eastern Kentucky University, features competition Friday and Saturday.

The Golden Eagles have set school records in each of their last three meets, and believe the best is yet to come.

"In track and field, the conference meet is the one that counts the most, so the training is geared toward everybody peaking at that meet,” head coach Tony Cox said. “That is one of the reasons why you see many of the school records come in the conference meet. If everything comes together like it should, then everybody is at their best at that time."

For seniors Ashley Evans, Keri Light, and Stephanie Place, the event is one final shot at a school or personal record. For the underclassmen, it’s a chance to set a mark only to be broken next year, as the team has improved each week heading into this year’s championships.

One third of Tech’s all-time school records have come in OVC championship meets, in addition to the three records the Golden Eagles have set this season. Light set a school record on April 4 in the 1,500-meter run, finishing in 4:38.75 at the Austin Peay invitational. A week later, sophomore Ashley Mayhew broke the school hammer throw record with a distance of 139 feet 10 inches at the Tennessee State Classic.

On April 18, Meagan Lyons, Allison Price, Emily Weinzetl and Ifey Eguzo broke the 4x100-meter relay record, finishing in 48.90 seconds at the Murray State Invitational.

Light and Stephanie Place, who combine to own five of nine school records in the running events, have typically dominated their events.

Today, thanks to an effort by Cox to build a balanced team, Tech has become a threat in other areas, as well.

“Going into this meet, I’m really excited because this year our team has been really well- rounded,” Mayhew said. “Stephanie and Keri are amazing, and now we have a chance to score some points in other areas, too. It’s time for the rest of the team to step up.”

Mayhew, who had the best hammer throw mark a season ago with a toss of 111 feet, six inches, has already topped that mark by nearly 20 feet this year with her 139 feet, 10 inch school record throw. But the hammer throw isn’t her only event, as Mayhew expects to turn some heads with her shot put performance at the OVC championships.

Last week at Western Kentucky, Mayhew had a career-best mark of 43 feet, 3.25 inches, which is less than two inches shy of the school record.

“I’ve set a personal record in the shot, which was the most important thing because I really needed more distance going into the conference meet,” Mayhew said. “I was recruited to Tech for the shot put, so I’ll always love that, it’s always been my main event.”

Junior Rachel Forbes, who already owns the pole vault school record, has her eye on another event, as well, in this year’s OVC championship. Forbes set the Tech pole vault record at the OVC championship last year, clearing the bar at nine feet. This year she’ll also be challenging herself in the javelin.

“I’ve been doing really well in the javelin this year, and I’m excited to see how I’ll do at conference,” Forbes said. “I’ve definitely gotten progressively better for each event throughout this season, especially in the javelin. There are still a lot of people in our conference who are really good, but it’ll be nice to see where I can place.”

It’s been almost a month since Keri Light has set a school record, which is uncharacteristic for the mid-distance runner. But the senior is aiming to go out on top at the championship meet.

“This year I started out really well, and I’ve actually gotten a couple seconds slower, which is really weird,” Light said. “Heading into the conference meet, I’m hoping to get back to where I was earlier.”

Light currently owns school records in the 800- and 1,500-meter runs, and has one last chance to improve those marks.

“I’d like to break my schools records going out in my last meet. That would be a nice way to finish my career at Tech,” Light said.

Fellow senior Stephanie Place, the OVC 2008 cross country Runner of the Year, holds the Tech records in the 3,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs. Place has a history of setting records at the OVC championships. Her record 36:29.64 in the 10,000-meter run came in the 2007 OVC championships, and last year she ran a school record 15:05.83 in the 5,000-meter run.

“Those two ladies, Stephanie and Keri, have been tremendous assets for the program over the last four years,” Cox said. “They are really hard workers, and they hold all the records for the distance events. We couldn’t ask for anything more.”

While Light and Place have been a staple of the team for the last four years, two recent newcomers have also had an impact this season. Meagan Lyons and Allison Price, seniors who spent four years on the TTU women’s basketball team, joined the track squad in their final season, and have enjoyed ample success.

The duo made up half of the 4x100 relay team that set a school record two weeks ago, and Lyons also notched a first-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles. Her time of 15.02 seconds was less than two-tenths of a second behind Carmen Tucker’s eight-year old school record of 14.85. Price, meanwhile, took sixth in the 400-meter dash, finishing in 1:00.56, just off the school mark of 58.91.

“It’s been really fantastic to have Meagan and Allison join the team,” Cox said. “They came in here with a lot of energy and a lot of talent, and they’re incredible athletes. They come in and work hard everyday, and they fit in with the team really well.”

Based on the performances Cox has seen from his team so far this season, he has high expectations at the OVC event.

“I’m always excited about the conference meet,” he said. “We’re ready to go and I just can’t wait for it to get here.