The NCAA News - News and Features

March 9, 1998

Division I Women's Indoor Track

Pole vault added to this year's events; LSU tries for sixth straight win

Event: 1998 Division I Women's Indoor Track Championships.

Overview: The 1998 championships will be unlike previous events as the women's pole vault makes its debut. However, even as the menu of events expands, the cast of contenders stays the same. For the last five years, LSU has run away with the team crown. This year, the Tigers could make it six straight victories. Showcasing sprinters Astia Walker, Peta-Gaye Dowdie and SaDonna Thornton and high jumper Gretchen Francois, the Tigers have the depth and talent to rack up points in a hurry. Through February 17, Walker, a senior, was among the top 10 qualifiers in the 55- and 200-meter dashes and 55-meter hurdles. She also was the anchor on LSU's 1,600-meter relay that posted a nation's-best mark of 3 minutes, 35.65 seconds. Dowdie posted the top time in the 55-meter dash (6.68), was fourth in the 200 (23.57) and served as the third member of the 1,600 relay. Francois leaped 1.86 meters to rank fourth in the high jump .... The Tigers' most serious challenger probably is Texas. The Longhorns match the Tigers' talent and depth. Toya Brown (55-meter dash), Lakeisha Backus (55- and 200-meter dashes), Nanceen Perry (defending 200-meter dash champion) and Suziann Reid (400-meter dash) headline Texas' sprints corps. Brown and Backus are ranked third and fifth, respectively, in the 55 with marks of 6.72 and 6.74; Perry was seventh in the 200 (23.75) and Reid had the sixth-best time in the 400 (53.85). Erin Aldrich, third in the high jump, and Kim McGruder, fifth in the long jump, lead the Longhorns in the field events.

Field: The Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet has approved a qualifying procedure that allows for a maximum of 270 student-athletes.

Dates and site: March 13-14 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Butler and USA Track and Field are cohosts.

Television coverage: The championships will be broadcast tape-delayed by ESPN at 1 p.m. (Eastern time) March 19 (the time and date are subject to change).

Information/results: The fax-on-demand telephone number is 770/399-3060 (passcode 1915); request numbers are 1565 for dates/site/schedule, 5276 for qualifiers, 5277 for first-day results, 5278 for second-day results and 5279 for finals-only results. Championship results also will be available on the World Wide Web at www.ncaa.org. Results will be published in the March 23 issue of The NCAA News.