For Immediate Release: Sunday, April 13, 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240

TWO QUALIFY, SCHOOL RECORDS FALL AT SFA

NACOGDOCHES, TX-Two school records fell, and two more athletes from The University of Texas-Pan American's track and field team qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships at the Dogwood Invitational at Stephen F. Austin State University Saturday evening.

The Broncs finished sixth of ten teams in the team scoring with 68 points. Northwestern State was first with 141 points. The Lady Broncs were eighth of nine teams with 36 points. Host SFA was first with 208 points.

Sophomore Rowena Hamlet (Mississauga, ON/Lorne Park SS) set a school record when she finished second in the 400 meter hurdles in 1:02.87, while sophomore Westly Keating (Pharr, TX/PSJA North HS/Texas) set a school record at 1500 meters, winning his race in 3:49.69. Both efforts were also personal records, and Keating's effort qualified him for the regionals.
Junior Rashaad Ben (Austin, TX/Lanier HS) also qualified for regionals. Ben finished second in the 100 meter hurdles in 14.40 seconds.

Several Broncs and Lady Broncs posted personal bests. Sophomore Angela Billups (Mercedes, TX/Mercedes HS) posted a personal best time of 1:00.22 when she finished ninth at 400 meters; sophomore Deneb DeLuna (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS) was first in the hammer with a personal best mark of 142 feet, six inches; and junior Hugo Cervantes (Weslaco, TX/Weslaco HS/Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) won the 3000 meter steeplechase in a personal best time of 9:31.48. At 800 meters, sophomore Francisco Bouret (Brownsville, TX/Pace HS) was third in 1:53.05, and freshman Aaron Castro (McAllen, TX/McAllen Memorial HS) eighth in 1:54.32, and both efforts were personal bests; Castro posted a personal best when he finished eighth in the 1500 meter run in 3:49.69; freshman Marco Rojas (Weslaco, TX/Weslaco HS) was ninth in the 110 hurdles in 15.86 and eighth in the 400 meter hurdles in 57.06, with both efforts being personal bests; and junior J.C. Crosby's (Pharr, TX/PSJA HS) fourth-place finish in the hammer throw at 148 feet, 10 inches.

Other strong performances included freshman Margeaux McCarthy's (Pharr, TX/PSJA North HS) second place finish at 800 meters in 2:18.54; sophomore Marlin Manley's (Hampton, VA/Bethel HS) second place finish in the high jump at 6-7; Crosby's seventh-place finish in the shot put at 48-5 ½; and senior Robert Lopez' (Mission, TX/Mission HS/Texas-El Paso) second-place finish in the hammer at 153 feet, one inch.

"Overall, we had a very good meet," said UTPA Head Coach Ricky Vaughn. "Westly ran a phenomenal race, he now owns all of our school records from 1500 meters all the way to 10,000. Rowena ran very well, she was close to the regional qualifying mark, and we think we can get her the mark in the next few weeks. Aaron ran very well. Having Rashaad qualify for regionals was huge, now he can concentrate on training and getting even better by the time regionals come around. We had a few people get hurt while they were warming up, or we would have done even better. We have to get back and get ready for next week."

Texas-Pan American will return to action at the Southwestern Bell Classic at Baylor next weekend.

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TEAM SCORES-MEN: Northwestern State 141, Stephen F. Austin 114.5, Louisiana Tech 86.5, Sam Houston State 85, South Plains 74, Texas-Pan American 68, Texas A&M-Commerce 53.5, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 52.5, Lamar 29, Paul Quinn 5. WOMEN:Stephen F. Austin 208, Louisiana Tech 114, Sam Houston State 94, South Plains 80, Northwestern State 80, Lamar 53, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 38, Texas-Pan American 36, Texas A&M-Commerce 33.