For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 27, 2003
Contact:
Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240

UTPA HOSTS ANGELA PROCTER OPEN

EDINBURG, TX-The University of Texas-Pan American’s track and field team will host the first of two home meets this season when they host the Angela Procter Open this Saturday at the UTPA Track.

The meet is named in memory of the late Angela Procter. Procter, a multi-event competitor for the Lady Broncs, was tragically killed in an automobile accident in the spring of 1999.

The field will include Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s men’s and women’s teams, and the men’s team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as the Broncs and the Lady Broncs. Several unattached athletes are also expected to compete, and no team scores will be recorded. Field events begin at 10:00 a.m. and running events start at 1:00 p.m. The final event, the 4 X 400 meter relay, is set to start at 4:25 p.m.

“This is going to be a quality meet,” said UTPA Head Coach Ricky Vaughn. “Corpus Christi has strong men’s and women’s teams, and MIT has a strong men’s team. There will definitely be some good competition. Even though it’s a small meet, it will be a quality meet for us, and will give us what we’re looking for at this time of the year.”

Vaughn is looking for some good performances this weekend. “This is our third outdoor meet, and I expect to see some good performances,” said Vaughn. “Once you start getting a couple of meets in a row, you get into a rhythm, and see some better performances from your team.”

This year, student-athletes must qualify for the NCAA Regional Championships, which UTPA will attend at the University of Nebraska May 30th and 31st. “We have a few people close to getting their NCAA regional qualifying marks,” said Vaughn. “(Sophomore) Marlin Manley (Hampton, VA/Bethel HS), (sophomore) Jeff Martzall (Fort Wayne, IN/Northrop HS), (junior) Rashaad Ben (Austin, TX/Lanier HS), (sophomore) Deneb DeLuna (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS) and (sophomore) Rowena Hamlet (Mississauga, ON/Lorne Park SS) are all close, and a couple of them may hit their marks this weekend.”

After Saturday’s meet, Texas-Pan American will return to action at the Texas Relays next weekend.

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