The NCAA News - News and Features

March 17, 1997

Tigers win fifth straight women's crown

On paper, it looked as though the 1997 Division I Women's Indoor Track Championships would be remembered as the year LSU saw its four-year title reign come to an end.

The Tigers proved that team titles aren't won on paper.

Sparked by Suzette Lee's collegiate indoor record-breaking showing in the triple jump, LSU put to rest all rumors of its imminent demise by scoring 49 points and winning a championships-record fifth consecutive title March 7-8 at the RCA Dome.

Lee -- who won the outdoor triple jump last spring -- claimed her first indoor crown and LaTarsha Stroman won the 400-meter dash to lead a Tiger squad that chalked up 36 of its 49 points in only four events. The championship is LSU's eighth overall.

Texas and Wisconsin tied for second with 39 points each, while South Carolina and Florida rounded out the top five with 36 and 35 points, respectively.

"This win was a good one," LSU coach Pat Henry said. "Most people were saying we were third or fourth best coming in and we did as well as we ever had. We did well individually and therefore had a good team effort.

"We knew we had a good group. We're not overloaded in any one area and I am especially pleased about that. Most of our kids are underclassmen, so we have a good group coming back."

Lee's sailed into the history books by leaping 14.25 meters (46 feet, 9 inches), exceeding her own collegiate indoor record of 45-101/2. The performance was one foot better than the six-year-old championships mark of 45-9 set by Sheila Hudson of California in 1990.

Lee also was runner-up in the long jump, leaping a personal-best 6.43 meters (21-11/4).

Stroman won her first individual title indoors. She was a member of LSU's 1,600-meter relay winning squad in 1996.

Astia Walker added eight points for the Tigers with a second-place showing in the 200-meter dash.

Lee's record-breaking performance wasn't the sole highlight of the meet. Amy Skieresz of Arizona, Tressa Thompson of Nebraska and Dawn Ellerbe of South Carolina and the Georgetown quartet of Maxine Clarke, Ayana Wright, Amy Ross and Miesha Marzell all etched their names in the records books.

The 1996 Division I women's cross country champion, Skieresz garnered her second title by winning the 5,000-meter run.

Ellerbe surpassed her own mark in the 20-pound weight throw, while Thompson eclipsed the mark in the shot put.

Clarke, Wright, Ross and Marzell made their mark in the distance medley relay.

Championships results

Division I women's indoor track

TEAM RESULTS

1. LSU, 49; 2. (tie) Texas and Wisconsin, 39; 4. South Caro., 36; 5. Florida, 35; 6. Georgetown, 32; 7. UCLA, 24; 8. Pittsburgh, 23; 9. (tie) Villanova and Nebraska, 20.

11. (tie) Brigham Young and Kansas St., 18; 13. Michigan St., 17; 14. George Mason, 16; 15. North Caro., 14; 16. Auburn, 131/2; 17. Northern Ariz., 12; 18. (tie) Rice, Illinois, Ark.-Little Rock and Arizona, 10.

22. Kentucky, 9; 23. (tie) Vanderbilt and Southern Methodist, 8; 25. Oklahoma St., 7; 26. (tie) Stanford and Oklahoma, 6; 28. (tie) Boston College, Cornell, Texas-San Antonio, Florida St., Baylor and Miami (Fla.), 5.

34. (tie) Dartmouth, Seton Hall, Illinois St. and Florida Int'l, 4; 38. (tie) UTEP, Iowa St., Tulane, Colorado and Cal St. Northridge, 3.

43. (tie) James Madison, UNLV, Texas A&M, Utah St. and Southwest Mo. St., 2; 48. Indiana, 11/2; 49. (tie) West Va. and Arkansas, 1.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

55-meter dash: 1. Sevatheda Fynes, Eastern Mich., 6.65; 2. Sabrina Kelly, Texas, 6.74; 3. Michelle Brown, Kentucky, 6.75; 4. Benita Kelley, Illinois, 6.82; 5. Kwajalein Butler, LSU, 6.82; 6. Peta-Gaye Dowdie, LSU, 6.82; 7. Kim McGruder, Texas, 6.84; 8. LaKisha Jett, Florida, 6.89.

200-meter dash: 1. Nanceen Perry, Texas, 23.09; 2. Astia Walker, LSU, 23.18; 3. Sevatheda Fynes, Eastern Mich., 23.24; 4. Temeka Roberts, Texas-San Antonio, 23.33; 5. Sherita Jackson, Oklahoma St., 23.39; 6. Michelle Brown, Kentucky, 23.56; 7. Alicia Tyson, UNLV, 23.62; 8. LaKisha Jett, Florida, 23.66.

400-meter dash: 1. LaTarsha Stroman, LSU, 52.77; 2. Ryan Tolbert, Vanderbilt, 52.90; 3. Cecil Cargill, Oklahoma, 53.14; 4. Tonique Williams, South Caro., 53.36; 5. Toya Brown, Texas, 53.47; 6. Monique Hennegan, North Caro., 53.66; 7. Ladonna Antoine, Utah St., 53.88; 8. Suziann Reid, Texas, 54.11.

800-meter run: 1. Dawn Williams-Sewer, Ark.-Little Rock, 2:02.55; 2. Hazel Clark, Florida, 2:02.76; 3. Michelle Ballentine, George Mason, 2:03.63; 4. Angie Martin, Pittsburgh, 2:06.12; 5. Jenni Westphal, Wisconsin, 2:06.56; 6. Jeanette Castro, UTEP, 2:06.86; 7. Janet Westphal, Wisconsin, 2:08.33; 8. Charmaine Howell, South Caro., 2:09.27.

3,000-meter run: 1. Kristine Jost, Villanova, 9:14.14; 2. Sara Fredrickson, Wisconsin, 9:17.74; 3. Janelle Thomas, Georgetown, 9:18.48; 4. Rikke Pederson, Northern Ariz., 9:19.64; 5. Carrie Tollefson, Villanova, 9:22.24; 6. Jenny Framme, Oklahoma St., 9:22.74; 7. Shayne Wille, Colorado, 9:24.65; 8. Megan Flowers, Arkansas, 9:25.80.

5,000-meter run: 1. Amy Skieresz, Arizona, 15:39.75 (meet record; old record, 15:41.12, Jen Rhines, Villanova, 1995); 2. Kathy Butler, Wisconsin, 15:47.74; 3. Kate Landau, Georgetown, 15:53.64; 4. Angie Kujak, Wisconsin, 16:22.72; 5. Jenna Rogers, Dartmouth, 16:23.11; 6. Sue Daggett, Illinois St., 16:23.59; 7. Regina Gonzales, Georgetown, 16:27.81; 8. Stephanie Dueringer, Michigan St., 16:29.72.

Mile run: 1. Becki Wells, Florida, 4:33.04; 2. Miesha Marzell, Georgetown, 4:34.93; 3. Kathy Butler, Wisconsin, 4:37.07; 4. Angela Graham, Boston College, 4:37.52; 5. Krestena Sullivan, Villanova, 4:37.52; 6. Janet Trujillo, Auburn, 4:39.84; 7. Charlotte Mayock, LSU, 4:41.98; 8. Samantha Bates, James Madison, 4:42.57.

55-meter hurdles: 1. Tiffany Lott, Brigham Young, 7.42; 2. Lacena Golding, Auburn, 7.47; 3. Joanna Hayes, UCLA, 7.48; 4. Yolanda McCray, Miami (Fla.), 7.54; 5. Astia Walker, LSU, 7.60; 6 Latasha Colander, North Caro., 7.77; 7. Rosa Jolivet, Texas A&M, 7.86; 8. Amanda Farquhar, Colorado, 7.89.

1,600-meter relay: 1. Rice (Andrea Blackett, Tanisha Mills, Margaret Fox, Melissa Straker), 3:34.44; 2. Texas, 3:35.04; 3. Nebraska, 3:35.40; 4. Florida St., 3:36.36; 5. Seton Hall, 3:37.52; 6. Baylor, 3:38.89; 7. Florida, 3:46.16; LSU, did not finish.

Distance medley relay: 1. Georgetown (Maxine Clarke, Ayana Wright, Amy Ross, Miesha Marzell), 11:08.54 [meet record; old record, 11:08.60, Michigan (Kristine Westerby, Richelle Webb, Molly McClimon, Courtney Babcock), 1994]; 2. Florida, 11:10.35; 3. Wisconsin, 11:13.74; 4. Cornell, 11:14.76; 5. George Mason, 11:15.02; 6. North Caro., 11:19.20; 7. Villanova, 11:25.02; 8. James Madison, 11:25.73.

High jump: 1. Amy Acuff, UCLA, 1.91 (6-31/4); 2. Wanita Dykstra, Kansas St., 1.88 (6-2); 3. Tracye Lawyer, Stanford, 1.85 (6-03/4); 4. Melinda Hale, Brigham Young, 1.82 (5-111/2); 5. Stacy Ann Grant, Illinois, 1.78 (5-10); 6. Nadia Smith, Tulane, 1.78 (5-10); 7. (tie) Nathalie Belfort, Indiana, and Magon Moncrieffe, Auburn, 1.78 (5-10).

Long jump: 1. Trecia Smith, Pittsburgh, 6.66 (21-101/4); 2. Suzette Lee, LSU, 6.43 (21-11/4); 3. Nicole Devonish, Texas, 6.39 (20-113/4); 4. Jernae Wright, Florida, 6.26 (20-61/2); 5. Angee Henry, Nebraska, 6.22 (20-5); 6. Trina Radske, Iowa St., 6.21 (20-41/2); 7. Michelle Baptiste, Southwest Mo. St., 6.16 (20-21/2); 8. Pat Itanyi, West Va., 6.01 (19-83/4).

Triple jump: 1. Suzette Lee, LSU, 14.25 (46-9) [meet record; old record, 13.94 (45-9), Sheila Hudson, California, 1990]; 2. Trecia Smith, Pittsburgh, 14.12 (46-4); 3. Vanitta Kinard, Kansas St., 13.49 (44-31/4); 4. Nicole Gamble, North Caro., 13.25 (43-53/4); 5. Shonda Swift, Florida Int'l, 13.19 (43-31/4); 6. Kristel Berendsen, Brigham Young, 13.07 (42-103/4); 7. Stacey Bowers, Baylor, 13.05 (42-93/4); 8. Colleen Gillies, Auburn, 12.98 (42-7).

Shot put: 1. Tressa Thompson, Nebraska, 17.98 (59-0) [meet record; old record, 17.72 (58-13/4), Eileen Vanisi, Texas, 1994]; 2. Marike Tuliniemi, Southern Methodist, 17.51 (57-51/2); 3. Seilala Sua, UCLA, 17.46 (57-31/2); 4. Crystal Brownlee, South Caro., 17.00 (55-91/4); 5. Dawn Ellerbee, South Caro., 16.31 (53-61/4); 6. Lisa Misipeka, South Caro., 15.73 (51-71/4); 7. Anna Soderberg, Northern Ariz., 15.38 (50-51/2); 8. Collinus Newsome, Illinois, 15.32 (50-31/4).

20-pound weight throw: 1. Dawn Ellerbe, South Caro., 21.86 (71-83/4) [meet record, old record, 20.68 (67-101/4), Dawn Ellerbe, South Caro., 1996]; 2. Lisa Misipeka, South Caro., 20.64 (67-83/4); 3. Tamika Powell, George Mason, 19.77 (64-101/2); 4. Anna Soderberg, Northern Ariz., 19.54 (64-11/4); 5. Renetta Seiler, Kansas St., 19.22 (63-03/4); 6. Beth Burton, Cal St. Northridge, 18.54 (60-10); 7. Rachelle Noble, UCLA, 18.54 (60-10); 8. Talise Branch, Illinois St., 18.44 (60-6).