March 18, 2004

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ----- The UAB track and field team opened its outdoor season at the Alabama Relays here on Thursday morning. The Blazers' Judy Shepherd is currently in second place after the first day of competition in the heptathlon, while Tiffany Parker is in ninth.

"This is a great first meet for us," said UAB head coach Ray Stanfield. "The level of competition here is always high and I think the challenge will be good for us. I look forward to seeing how we do this weekend."

Shepherd has 2,982 points in the heptathlon, 188 points behind the leader, Ole Miss' Antisha Anderson. Shepherd finished first in the 100-meter hurdles portion of the event with a time of 14.44 seconds. She placed in the top-five of all four events today.

"Judy did a great job today," said Stanfield. "She had some excellent times and has put herself in position to have an outstanding finish in this event."

UAB's Parker is in ninth after the first day of events with 2,288 points. Parker's best mark was a seventh-place finish in the 200-meters with a time of 27.9 seconds.

"Tiffany did a good job as well today," said Stanfield. "This is her first heptathlon and she handled things well. I look for her to continue to compete well."

The Alabama Relays continue until Sunday. On Friday, the competitors will finish the heptathlon and run the 10,000-meters.