The NCAA News - News and Features

May 18, 1998

Division II Women's Outdoor Track

Wildcats, Falcons to clash again

Event: 1998 Division II Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Overview: St. Augustine's and Abilene Christian have battled for the top spot each of the past two years, with the Wildcats winning the 1996 crown and St. Augustine's claiming the 1997 title. This year, the final standings should retain a similar look. The question is: Which team will occupy the top spot? St. Augustine's, which claimed its first title in 1997, returns several veterans in its bid to win back-to-back crowns. Coach George Williams' squad is led by senior Prisca Philip (400-meter dash), and juniors Lisa Taylor (100-meter low hurdles), Nicole Irving (long and triple jumps) and Denise George (shot put). Irving posted the nation's top qualifying mark in the triple jump and the fifth-best best mark in the long jump through April 28. Joining the Falcons' veteran quartet are sophomores Wilna Nelson (100-meter dash), Juliett Brown (200- and 400-meter dashes) and Shenique Musgrove, who posted the second-best qualifying mark in the javelin throw .... Abilene Christian, which had its three-year hold on the title ended by the Falcons, seeks to return to the No. 1 spot behind a junior-led squad. Juniors Delloreen Ennis, two-time defending 100-meter low hurdles champion; defending discus throw champion Monique Kuenen; Tracey Barnes (200- and 400-meter dashes); and Vivian Ruitjers (3,000-meter run) are the top performers for coach Wes Kittley's Wildcats. Ennis and Barnes, who won the 1996 400-meter dash title, were the top qualifiers through April 28 in the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter dash, respectively. Freshman Dawnyel Newhouse posted the top qualifying mark in the long jump as of April 28 .... Lewis, third in 1997, headlines the group of teams seeking to join the Falcons and Wildcats atop the standings. The Flyers showcase defending 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs champion Kasia Arient, defending 1,500- and 3,000-meter runs champion Malgorzata Biela and Beth Bayser (800- and 1,500-meter runs).

Field: The Division II Championships Committee has approved a qualifying procedure that allows for a maximum of 228 student-athletes.

Dates and site: May 21-23 at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

Information/results: The fax-on-demand telephone number is 770/399-3060 (passcode 1915); request numbers are 1629 for dates/site/schedule, 5311 for qualifiers, 5312 for first-day results, 5313 for second-day results, 5314 for third-day results and 5315 for finals results only. Championships results also will be available on the World Wide Web at www.ncaa.org. Results will be published in June 1 issue of The NCAA News.