March 25, 2002

TUSCALOOSA - After a jump-off and 11 jumps later, UAB trackster Meredith George jumped 1.70-meters to garner a second place finish Sunday at the Alabama Relays, held at the Sam Bailey Track.

The senior from Boaz, Ala. was 0.02-meters behind first place finisher Josie Hahn of Vanderbilt who won the event with a jump of 1.72, but not before the two competed head to head for 11 jumps.

In the regular portion of the meet, George and Hahn both cleared 1.70-meters and the same amount of misses, putting them in a tie for first and a jump-off. The bar was raised to 1.75-meters. Hahn jumped first and missed. George jumped and cleared the bar, but just clipped it making it bounce of the standard and slowly roll off. Both jumpers missed at 1.72, then made the 1.69 mark. The bar was raised to 1.72 again, where Hahn hit the mark, but George just clipped it again.

"This is the first jump-off I have ever seen in college and first one I have experienced with my team," said head coach Brian Funk. "The crowd was into it and the emotions were high. A high-jumper only has about 10 jumps in them and Meredith did incredible, considering this is only her second meet in a year. She has not competed indoors this season because she has been banged up and has not healed yet."

In the 4x400, UAB's Elace Minnifield ran a personal best 55.95, giving the Blazers their best chance yet this year at breaking the school record. The Blazers finished with a time of 3:50.35, a tenth of a second off the school record of 3:50.23. Joined by Doella Miller, Normanie McKenzie and Adrienne Duke, the team finished in seventh place.

"Elace helped us finish third in our heat, putting us in a great position to break the school record," added Funk. "I feel like the next time we go out there, we will be in a position to crush the record."

In the 4x100-meter relay, UAB's team of Theresa Smith, Crystal Hunter, Miller and McKenzie finished in 12th place with a time of 47.64. West Virginia took top honors with 45.87.

In the heptathalon, Duke, a freshman from Hueytown, Ala. captured a 10th place finish, finishing with 3639 points. Austin Peay's Lauren Maul took medallist honors with 5040 points. UAB's Anna Parker finished with 2635 points to take 14th spot.

In the 3000-meter run, freshman Heather Burdett finished with a time of 11:21.44, while junior Donna Pucke finished with a time of 2:19.12 in the 800-meter run.

UAB's tricksters will continue to build on their success so far this season when they travel to Athens, Ga. on April 6 to compete in the Spec Town Relays.