March 6, 2003
ATLANTA – With the 2003 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships rapidly approaching, the Georgia Tech men’s and women’s track and field teams are scattering across the country this weekend in an attempt to improve their qualifying standards for the national meet. Yellow Jacket standouts will be competing at Notre Dame’s Alex Wilson Invitational, Iowa State’s Cyclone National Track and Field Qualifier and the Boise State NCAA Indoor Track and Field Qualifier.
Junior Kyle Rabbitt is the lone Jacket competing Friday, as he is scheduled to run the 5000 meters at the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame’s Loftus Sports Center. He is already provisionally qualified in the event with a school record time of 14:14.48 at the Terrier Invitational. Rabbitt was the ACC runner-up in this event and also garnered all-conference honors in the 3000 meters.
Joining Rabbitt in South Bend and racing Saturday is junior Brendon Mahoney, who will run the mile. He earned All-America honors in the event a year ago and owns a time of 4:06.55 this season. Mahoney has already provisionally qualified in the 800 meters.
Tech’s largest group will head to Ames, Iowa, and Saturday’s Cyclone National Track and Field Qualifier at the Lied Recreation Center. Headlining this contingent is ACC Rookie of the Year and high jump automatic qualifier Chaunte Howard, who also owns a provisional mark in the triple jump. Howard owns the nation’s second-best mark in the high jump this season, trailing only Iowa State’s Gina Rickert. The Jackets top triple jumper is sophomore Shanta Smith, a two-time ACC champion in the event. She set a school record and improved her provisional mark to 42’8.75″ at last weekend’s Virginia Tech Last Chance Meet. Smith ranks 20th nationally in the event.
Three-time All-ACC honoree Jessica DeFreitas also owns provisional performances in the triple jump (22nd nationally) and in the 60-meter dash and is very close to a one in the long jump. Also competing for the women will be junior Amandi Rhett, who is provisionally qualified in the 60-meter dash and close in the 200 meters, and sophomore Dana Rogers who is provisional in the 60-meter hurdles.
Joining the group of women at Iowa State will be senior Brian Fraser, who posted a provisional leap of 51’2.75″ in the triple jump at the ACC Championships. He is currently ranked 28th in the country.
Leading the group to Boise State will be freshman Jessica Graff, who is set a school record and improved her qualifying mark to 13’2.50″ in the pole vault at Virginia Tech last weekend. She owns the nation’s 15th-best performance. Joining her will be Idaho native Zeb Sion, who is fresh off a school record toss of 57’8.25″ in the shot put to eclipse a 42-year-old mark. Sophomore Ian Brewer, the ACC runner-up in the weight throw and school record holder in the event, is also scheduled to compete, as is classmate Jonathan Spillman. This meet is also scheduled for Saturday.
The 2003 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships are scheduled for March 14-15 in Fayetteville, Ark.
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