Aug. 30, 2001

UAB track & field team Head Coach Brian Funk has named Yolanda Cooper , Carla Kelly , and Donna Pucke team captains for the 2001-02 school year.

A fifth year senior and native of Town Creek, Ala., Cooper has been one of the most celebrated sprinters in UAB history. An NCAA Indoor Championship qualifier in the 60-meters and ranking 15th in the nation, she has been a leader on the track and field squad during her four-year career. A Junior National Qualifier in three events during the 1998 season - 100-meters, 200-meters and long jump. During the same season, Cooper was the bronze medalist in the 55-meter dash in the C-USA Indoor Championships. During the 2000 season, she began with a win at the outdoor FSU Relays and went on to win three more events throughout the season. Last season, Cooper finished first in the long jump at the Big Cat Classic and took home the silver in the 60-meter dash at the C-USA Indoor Championships. She holds the UAB indoor 60-meter record with a time of 7.36 which is also a personal record.

Kelly, a senior from Auburn, Ala. has become one of the top distance runners of all time at UAB. She holds 4 school records, including two outdoor relay records and two freshman records. During her freshman year, she set records for the indoor 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:33.02 and the outdoor 5,000-meter run at 18:08.36. During the same season, she qualified for the Junior National Championships. Kelly ranks second all-time for UAB indoors and outdoors for the 800-meters.

Pucke, a junior from Cincinnati, Ohio ranks among the top five all time UAB performances in three 800-meter run categories. Last season, she placed sixth in the 800-meters in the Outdoor C-USA Championships. At the Purdue 5-Way, Pucke claimed first place in the 400-meter with a time of 59.67, ranking her fifth all-time indoors.

"All three should provide excellent leadership on and off the track, and will serve as excellent role models to our younger rising stars," said Funk.