Texas challenged a competitive field with two early event victories, then completed a sweep of the relays in the meet's final race to win the team title at the Division I Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The Longhorns, who built a narrow advantage during the third day of competition but saw South Carolina and then defending champion UCLA take turns in the lead during the final day, finally clinched the title when Jerrika Chapple nipped South Carolina's Stephanie Smith at the finish of the 1,600-meter relay June 11 at Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, California.

The victory is Texas' first since back-to-back wins in 1998 and 1999, when the Longhorns also won indoor titles, and fourth outdoor championship overall.

"This is as sweet, if not sweeter, than the titles we won in 1998 and '99," said coach Bev Kearney, who also capped a personal comeback from a December 2002 auto accident in which she suffered a crippling back injury.

"With the personal things that I had to overcome and the losses we suffered a year ago (including a costly relays disqualification), and coming here with only seven people, knowing there was very little room for error -- we just kept believing it was possible."

All seven Longhorns contributed to the team total of 55 points, led by sophomore Marshevet Hooker, who finished second in the long jump on the second day of competition and anchored the 400-meter relay team to victory on the third day, then won the 100-meter dash to wrap up her personal contribution of 18 points to the effort.

Perhaps the key moment for Texas came in that 400-meter relay victory, when Hooker started the final leg of the race trailing South Carolina's Shalonda Solomon but rallied to win.

"Winning really helped set the tone for the rest of the weekend and the girls running in other finals," Hooker said. "I have confidence in every single leg on my relay and I knew when I got the baton, I had to run hard for my team."

Still, the Longhorns endured anxious moments on the last day of competition.

UCLA, reeling from defending pole vault titlist Chelsea Johnson's inability to qualify for the final in that event, rallied with Monique Henderson's victory in the 400-meter dash to pull into a tie with Texas for the lead. Henderson's time of 50.10 seconds in the event was one of two record performances at the championships.

But Melanie Walker posted a fourth-place finish for the Longhorns in the 400-meter hurdles to put Texas back in front by four points.

Later, South Carolina claimed the lead with Solomon's second-place finish in the 200-meter dash, but couldn't hold on as Texas shot putter Michelle Carter finished second to again put the Longhorns ahead.

UCLA came back once more with another meet record -- Candice Baucham's winning leap of 14.07 meters (46 feet, 2 inches) in the triple jump. The victory handed the Bruins a late three-point lead, but they had no entrant in the final relay, and Texas took full advantage to wrap up the title.

The Bruins and South Carolina finished tied for second, seven points behind the Longhorns. Tennessee, which won the indoor title earlier this year, finished fourth and picked up an individual title with Tianna Madison's victory in the long jump.

Eighteen different schools claimed individual crowns at the 21-event championships, including first-time victors Florida International, whose Sheri-Ann Brooks beat South Carolina's Solomon at 200 meters; Butler, whose Victoria Mitchell won the 3,000-meter steeplechase; Wyoming, with 400-hurdles winner Shauna Smith; Colorado State, with hammer thrower Loree Smith; and Air Force, whose Dana Pounds won the javelin throw.

All of this year's individual titlists are first-time outdoor winners, but five winners of events at this year's indoor meet also were winners in Sacramento.

Arkansas' Aneita Deaton won the 800-meter run and Kimberli Barrett of Miami (Florida) won the shot put to join Tennessee's Madison in indoor-outdoor sweeps of those events this year, while indoor mile winner Anne Shadle of Nebraska won the outdoor 1,500-meter run and indoor 60-meter hurdles champ Virginia Powell of Southern California added a victory in the outdoor 100-meter hurdles.

Team results

1. Texas, 55; 2. (tie) UCLA and South Carolina, 48; 4. Tennessee, 40; 5. Stanford, 29; 6. Georgia, 27; 7. Southern California, 25; 8. Nebraska, 24; 9. Miami (Fla.), 23; 10. (tie) Brigham Young and Florida, 22; 12. Colorado, 19; 13. Alabama, 18; 14. (tie) Washington and Auburn, 17; 16. Eastern Mich., 16; 17. Wyoming, 12; 18. (tie) Arkansas and Colorado St., 11; 20. (tie) Butler, West Virginia, North Carolina, LSU, Air Force and Florida Int'l, 10; 26. (tie) San Diego St., Providence and California, 9; 29. (tie) Washington St., Illinois, Columbia-Barnard, Texas Tech, Oregon, Akron, Kent St., Cal Poly, Clemson, Michigan, Kansas St., Northern Ariz. and Kansas, 8; 42. (tie) Virginia, Oklahoma St., Duke and North Carolina St., 6; 46. (tie) Idaho, Texas A&M, Southern Ill., Rice and Harvard, 5; 51. (tie) South Fla, Ohio St., Oral Roberts, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame and Chattanooga, 4; 57. (tie) Wake Forest, Penn St., Arizona, Yale and Texas Southern, 3; 62. (tie) Mississippi, Iowa, Pittsburgh, Wichita St., Marquette and UNLV, 2; 68. (tie) Texas-San Antonio, Texas St., and TCU, 1.

Individual champions

100-meter dash: 1. Marshevet Hooker, Texas, 11.16.

200-meter dash: 1. Sheri-Ann Brooks, Florida Int'l, 22.85.

400-meter dash: 1. Monique Henderson, UCLA, 50.10 (meet record: old record 50.18, Pauline Davis, Alabama, 1989).

800-meter run: 1. Aneita Denton, Arkansas, 2:02.84

1,500-meter run: 1. Anne Shadle, Nebraska, 4:11.37.

3,000-meter steeplechase: 1. Victoria Mitchell, Butler, 9:54.32.

5,000-meter run: 1. Megan Metcalfe, West Virginia, 16:31.88.

10,000-meter run: 1. Sara Slattery, Colorado, 33:02.21.

100-meter high hurdles: 1. Virginia Powell, Southern California, 12.80.

400-meter intermediate hurdles: 1. Shauna Smith, Wyoming, 54.32.

400-meter relay: 1. Texas (Ashlee Williams, Melaine Walker, Jerrika Chapple, Marshevet Hooker), 42.87.

1,600-meter relay: 1. Texas (Sheretta Jones, Melaine Walker, LaTashia Kerr, Jerrika Chapple), 3:27.13.

High jump: 1. Sharon Day, Cal Poly, 1.93 (6-4).

Pole vault: 1. Kate Soma, Washington, 4.30 (14-1 1Ž 4).

Long jump: 1. Tianna Madison, Tennessee, 6.66 (21-10 1Ž 4).

Triple jump: 1. Candice Baucham, UCLA, 14.07 (46-2) [meet record: old record 14.04 (46-0 3Ž 4), Sheila Hudson, California, 1990).

Shot put: 1. Kimberli Barrett, Miami (Fla.), 18.20 (59-8 1Ž 2).

Discus throw: 1. Beth Mallory, Alabama, 59.35 (194-9).

Hammer throw: 1. Loree Smith, Colorado St., 68.47 (224-8);

Javelin throw: 1. Dana Pounds, Air Force, 56.48 (185-4);

Heptathlon: 1. Lela Nelson, Eastern Mich., 5,878 points.

For complete results, see The NCAA News online at www.ncaa.org.

Team results

1. Texas, 55; 2. (tie) UCLA and South Carolina, 48; 4. Tennessee, 40; 5. Stanford, 29; 6. Georgia, 27; 7. Southern California, 25; 8. Nebraska, 24; 9. Miami (Fla.), 23; 10. (tie) Brigham Young and Florida, 22; 12. Colorado, 19; 13. Alabama, 18; 14. (tie) Washington and Auburn, 17; 16. Eastern Mich., 16; 17. Wyoming, 12; 18. (tie) Arkansas and Colorado St., 11; 20. (tie) Butler, West Virginia, North Carolina, LSU, Air Force and Florida Int'l, 10; 26. (tie) San Diego St., Providence and California, 9; 29. (tie) Washington St., Illinois, Columbia-Barnard, Texas Tech, Oregon, Akron, Kent St., Cal Poly, Clemson, Michigan, Kansas St., Northern Ariz. and Kansas, 8; 42. (tie) Virginia, Oklahoma St., Duke and North Carolina St., 6; 46. (tie) Idaho, Texas A&M, Southern Ill., Rice and Harvard, 5; 51. (tie) South Fla, Ohio St., Oral Roberts, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame and Chattanooga, 4; 57. (tie) Wake Forest, Penn St., Arizona, Yale and Texas Southern, 3; 62. (tie) Mississippi, Iowa, Pittsburgh, Wichita St., Marquette and UNLV, 2; 68. (tie) Texas-San Antonio, Texas St., and TCU, 1.

100-meter dash: 1. Marshevet Hooker, Texas, 11.16; 2. Cleo Tyson, Tennessee, 11.29; 3. Alexis Weatherspoon, Southern California, 11.35; 4. Kelly Baptiste, LSU, 11.37; 5. Toyin Olupona, Tennessee, 11.41; 6. Tahesia Harrigan, Alabama, 11.42; 7. Fana Ashby, Auburn, 11.51; 8. Tremedia Brice, Texas Southern, 11.53.

200-meter dash: 1. Sheri-Ann Brooks, Florida Int'l, 22.85; 2. Shalonda Solomon, South Carolina, 22.86; 3. Cleo Tyson, Tennessee, 23.01; 4. Alexis Weatherspoon, Southern California, 23.26; 5. Antonette Carter, California, 23.28; 6. Natalie Knight, Florida, 23.29; 7. Tremedia Brice, Texas Southern, 23.30; 8. Kelly Baptiste, LSU, 23.42.

400-meter dash: 1. Monique Henderson, UCLA, 50.10 [meet record: old record 50.18, Pauline Davis, Alabama, 1989]; 2. Tiandra Ponteen, Florida, 50.83; 3. Stephanie Smith, South Carolina, 50.93; 4. Shereefa Lloyd, Texas Tech, 51.39; 5. Ashlee Kidd, Georgia Tech, 51.87; 6. Natasha Hastings, South Carolina, 51.87; 7. Kineke Alexander, Iowa, 51.94; 8. Jerrika Chapple, Texas, 52.25.

800-meter run: 1. Aneita Denton, Arkansas, 2:02.84; 2. Maggie Vessey, Cal Poly, 2:03.10; 3. Beata Rudzinska, Akron, 2:03.14; 4. Katie Erdman, Michigan, 2:03.86; 5. Mable Kunihira, Oral Roberts, 2:05.98; 6. Alysia Johnson, California, 2:06.88; 7. Aneta Lemiesz, Brigham Young, 2:33.96; 8. Egle Uljas, Nebraska, 2:37.00.

1,500-meter run: 1. Anne Shadle, Nebraska, 4:11.37; 2. Johanna Nilsson, Northern Ariz., 4:13.36; 3. Arianna Lambie, Stanford, 4:13.64; 4. Erin Donohue, North Carolina, 4:14.57; 5. Heidi Magill, Brigham Young, 4:15.57; 6. Lindsey Gallo, Michigan, 4:15.83; 7. Iryna Vashchuk, Southern California, 4:16.15; 8. Shannon Rowbury, Duke, 4:17.69.

3,000-meter steeplechase: 1. Victoria Mitchell, Butler, 9:54.32; 2. Cassie Hunt, Illinois, 9:59.82; 3. Rena Williams-Chesser, Brigham Young, 10:02.21; 4. Liz Wort, Duke, 10:05.39; 5. Shannon Wommack, Chattanooga, 10:07.14; 6. Fiona Crombie, Providence, 10:08.36; 7. Brianna Dahm, Marquette, 10:08.79; 8. Cassie King, North Carolina, 10:11.24.

5,000-meter run: 1. Megan Metcalfe, West Virginia, 16:31.88; 2. Sara Bei, Stanford, 16:32.42; 3. Teresa McWalters, Stanford, 16:38.44; 4. Renee Metiever, Colorado, 16:43.15; 5. Stephanie Madia, Notre Dame, 16:43.98; 6. Lindsay Donaldson, Yale, 16:45.84; 7. Desiraye Osburn, Wichita St., 16:46.97; 8. Julia Lucas, North Carolina St., 16:47.04.

10,000-meter run: 1. Sara Slattery, Colorado, 33:02.21; 2. Caroline Bierbaum, Columbia-Barnard, 33:03.37; 3. Mary Cullen, Providence, 33:12.32; 4. Lindsey Scherf, Harvard, 33:19.37; 5. Christine Bolf, Colorado, 33:26.97; 6. Annie Bersagel, Wake Forest, 33:28.63; 7. Angela Homan, Auburn, 33:30.19; 8. Mary Davies, Oklahoma St., 33:31.54.

100-meter high hurdles: 1. Virginia Powell, Southern California, 12.80; 2. Priscilla Lopes, Nebraska, 12.82; 3. Dawn Harper, UCLA, 12.91; 4. Ebony Foster, North Carolina St., 13.06; 5. Ashley Lodree, Washington, 13.20; 6. Ashlee Williams, Texas, 13.32; 7. Candice Davis, Southern California, 13.35; 8. Heather Heron, San Diego St., 13.37.

400-meter intermediate hurdles: 1. Shauna Smith, Wyoming, 54.32; 2. Shevon Stoddart, South Carolina, 54.47; 3. Tiffany Ross-Williams, South Carolina, 54.56; 4. Melaine Walker, Texas, 55.32; 5. Josanne Lucas, Auburn, 55.59; 6. Dominique Darden, Miami (Fla.), 55.60; 7. Christine Spence, UNLV, 56.12; 8. Katya Kostetskaya, Texas St., 57.01.

400-meter relay: 1. Texas (Ashlee Williams, Melaine Walker, Jerrika Chapple, Marshevet Hooker), 42.87; 2. South Carolina, 43.00; 3. Tennessee, 43.18; 4. Auburn, 43.58; 5. LSU, 43.67; 6. Florida, 43.71; 7. Miami (Fla.), 44.18; Southern California, did not finish.

1,600-meter relay: 1. Texas (Sheretta Jones, Melaine Walker, LaTashia Kerr, Jerrika Chapple), 3:27.13; 2. South Carolina, 3:27.22; 3. Tennessee, 3:27.46; 4. Miami (Fla.), 3:28.78; 5. Auburn, 3:29.21; 6. Stanford, 3:29.39; 7. Wyoming, 3:31.29; 8. TCU, 3:32.10.

High jump: 1. Sharon Day, Cal Poly, 1.93 (6-4); 2. Chaunte Howard, Georgia Tech, 1.86 (6-1 1/4); 3. Debra Vento, Duke, 1.83 (6-0); 4. Deirdre Mullen, Connecticut, 1.83 (6-0); 5. Caroline Wolf, Texas St., 1.83 (6-0); 6. Christine Spence, UNLV, 1.83 (6-0); 7. Sheena Gordon, North Carolina, 1.83 (6-0); 8. Patty Sylvester, Georgia, 1.80 (5-10 3/4).

Pole vault: 1. Kate Soma, Washington, 4.30 (14-1 1/4); 2. Shayla Balentine, San Diego St., 4.30 (14-1 1/4); 3. Amy Linnen, Kansas, 4.30 (14-1 1/4); 4. Breanna Eveland, Kansas St., 4.30 (14-1 1/4); 5. Jackie Rodgers, Kent St., 4.20 (13-9 1/4); 6. Carly Dockendorf, Washington, 4.20 (13-9 1/4); 7. (tie) Tamara Diles, Washington St., Ekaterina Sultanova, Kansas, and Stacie Manuel, Arkansas, 4.10 (13-5 1/4).

Long jump: 1. Tianna Madison, Tennessee, 6.66 (21-10 1/4); 2. Marshevet Hooker, Texas, 6.60 (21-8); 3. Lela V. Nelson, Eastern Mich., 6.49 (21-3 1/2); 4. Amy Menlove, Brigham Young, 6.40 (21-0); 5. Candice Baucham, UCLA, 6.33 (20-9 1/4); 6. Tori Polk, Texas Tech, 6.26 (20-6 1/2); 7. Antonette Carter, California, 6.24 (20-5 3/4); 8. Chelsea Hammond, South Carolina, 6.23 (20-5 1/4).

Triple jump: 1. Candice Baucham, UCLA, 14.07 (46-2) [meet record: old record 14.04 (46-0 3/4), Sheila Hudson, California, 1990); 2. Gisele Oliveira, Clemson, 13.73 (45-0 1/2); 3. Erica McLain, Stanford, 13.62 (44-8 1/4); 4. Kamila Rywelska, Brigham Young, 13.61 (44-8); 5. Rosalind Goodwin, Ohio St., 13.50 (44-3 1/2); 6. Tabia Charles, Miami (Fla.), 13.50 (44-3 1/2); 7. Chaytan Hill, Kansas St., 13.29 (43-7 1/4); 8. Brooklyn Hann, Kansas, 13.21 (43-4 1/4).

Shot put: 1. Kimberli Barrett, Miami (Fla.), 18.20 (59-8 1/2); 2. Michelle Carter, Texas, 17.06 (55-11 3/4); 3. Jessica Cosby, UCLA, 16.80 (55-1 1/2); 4. Kacey Onwuchekwa, Texas A&M, 16.67 (54-8 1/4); 5. Chandra Brewer, South Fla., 16.57 (54-4 1/2); 6. Amarachi Ukabam, Southern Ill., 16.54 (54-3 1/4); 7. Amanda Walker, Pittsburgh, 16.48 (54-1); 8. Halee Prickett, Oklahoma St., 16.14 (52-11 1/2).

Discus throw: 1. Beth Mallory, Alabama, 59.35 (194-9); 2. Rachel Longfors, Florida, 57.03 (187-1); 3. Kamaiya Warren, UCLA, 54.30 (178-2); 4. Krystal Robinson, Rice, 54.27 (178-1); 5. Jocelyn White, North Carolina, 53.98 (177-1); 6. Ilona Rutjes, Arizona, 53.65 (176-0); 7. Amarachi Ukabam, Southern Ill., 53.45 (175-4); 8. Katie Hansen, Colorado St., 52.72 (172-11).

Hammer throw: 1. Loree Smith, Colorado St., 68.47 (224-8); 2. Jenny Dahlgren, Georgia, 66.72 (218-11); 3. Jessica Cosby, UCLA, 63.87 (209-6); 4. Beth Mallory, Alabama, 63.18 (207-3); 5. Delisa McClain, Oklahoma St., 62.88 (206-3); 6. Sultana Frizell, Georgia, 62.72 (205-9); 7. Jen Leatherman, Penn St., 61.68 (202-4); 8. Laci Heller, Kansas St., 60.88 (199-9).

Javelin throw: 1. Dana Pounds, Air Force, 56.48 (185-4); 2. Sarah Malone, Oregon, 51.61 (169-4); 3. Inge Jorgensen, Virginia, 50.34 (165-2); 4. Krista Woodward, Georgia, 49.08 (161-0); 5. Julie Ward, Kent St., 48.31 (158-6); 6. Sigrun Fjeldsted, Georgia, 47.75 (156-8); 7. Ashley Kaufman, Akron, 47.45 (155-8); 8. Diana Bruch, Penn St., 47.18 (154-9).

Heptathlon: 1. Lela Nelson, Eastern Mich., 5,878; Jessica Stockard, Georgia, 5,794; 3. Ashley Selig, Nebraska, 5,775; 4. Manuela Kurrat, Idaho, 5,714; 5. Julie Pickler, Washington St., 5,650; 6. Diana Pickler, Washington St., 5,595; 7. LaToya McBride, Mississippi, 5,577; 8. Ryanne Dupree, Tex.-San Antonio, 5,575.