Jan. 14, 2007

New Orleans - For senior sprinter Gloria Asumnu, it was another meet, another school record as the Tulane Green Wave women's track and field team competed in the Purple Tiger Invitational today.

Asumnu broke her own record in the 60-meter dash, improving by 0.02 seconds the mark she set in March of 2004. The time provisionally qualified Asumnu for the NCAA indoor championships and gave her a second-place finish in the event behind the Tigers' Kelly Ann Baptiste.

Despite the six-week layoff since the team's last competition, the team showed little signs of rust as nine Wave athletes finished in the top five in their events.

Tulane's distance runners started the day with a strong showing in the one-mile run, as junior Aubrey Phillips finished second in the championship section with a time of 5:30.12. She was closely followed by sophomore Cecilia Clarke, whose time of 5:39.25 was a personal best. Junior Jill Shriver also performed well, taking third in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 20:22.34.

In the evening, the Wave's sprinters shone. In addition to Asumnu's performance, sophomore Shaina Pelham finished ninth in the 60-meter dash. Freshman Olivia Kizzee also ran well. Her time of 57.96 seconds in the 400-meter dash was a personal best, and her time of 25.87 seconds in the 200-meter dash earned her fourth place overall. The 4 x 400-meter relay team of Shanon Beelendorf, Kyra Lobbins, Pelham and Asumnu posted Tulane's best time of the season, a 3:48.49 mark that earned the Wave third place.

In the field events, senior Christina Tegbe earned fifth place for the Wave in the triple jump with a mark of 11.50 meters.

The Wave will return to action in less than a week, as they will compete in the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitational in Houston, Texas, next Friday.

Here are the final results from the event:

MILE RUN
SECTIONS AGAINST TIME
4. Arianne Larimer, 6:23.68
6. Lauren Swenson, 6:27.15

CHAMPIONSHIP SECTION
2. Aubrey Phillips, 5:30.12
5. Cecelia Clarke, 5:39.25 (Personal Best)

5,000-METER RUN
3. Jill Shriver, 20:22.34

60-METER DASH
PRELIMINARIES
2. Gloria Asumnu, 7.44
12. Shaina Pelham, 7.76
18. Olivia Kizzee, 7.82
20. Kyra Lobbins, 7.89
24. Taneekwa Ross, 7.96
59. Christina Tegbe, 8.71

FINALS
2. Gloria Asumnu, 7.40(School Record)
9. Shaina Pelham, 7.73
15. Kyra Lobbins, 7.81
16. Olivia Kizzee, 7.86

400-METER DASH
2. Olivia Kizzee, 57.96(Personal Best)

200-METER DASH
4. Olivia Kizzee, 25.87
20. Taneekwa Ross, 27.11
26. Nicolette Taku, 28.05

4 x 400 METER RELAY
3. Beelendorf - Lobbins - Pelham - Asumnu, 3:48.49 (Season Best)

TRIPLE JUMP
5. Christina Tegbe, 11.50m (37-08.75)
10. Nicolette Taku, 11.26m (36-11.50)

For full results from the Purple Tiger Indoor Classic, click here.

--Roll Wave--