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

UTPA TRACK AND FIELD HOSTS UTPA OPEN

EDINBURG, TX-The University of Texas-Pan American's cross country and track and field team will take their final shot at qualifying student-athletes for this year's NCAA Championships when they host the UTPA Open Thursday afternoon.

The Broncs and Lady Broncs will join Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas A&M-Kingsville at the meet.

"We're doing it late in the afternoon, and it will give some of our people who are close to qualifying a chance to reach their marks," said UTPA Head Coach Ricky Vaughn. "We haven't had required practice this week, because of final exams. Our people have come to practice when they were able to. It's going to be a low-key meet, and it could be a good meet for us."

Sophomores Jeff Martzall (Fort Wayne, IN/Northrop HS) and Rowena Hamlet (Mississauga, ON/Lorne Park SS) will be among the Texas-Pan American student-athletes attempting to qualify. "I think that Jeff, in the pole vault, and Rowena, in the hurdles, have the best chances to qualify," said Vaughn. "Rowena is less than two seconds off the mark, and Jeff has attempted the qualifying height at every meet we've gone to this spring. They're both capable of qualifying."

The meet begins with field events at 4:00 p.m. Running events start at 6:00 p.m. The final event, the 800 meter run, is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.

After Thursday's meet, student-athletes who qualify will advance to the NCAA Regionals at Nebraska May 30th and 31st.

TR-31-03-051303

UTPA OPEN SCHEDULE

FIELD EVENTS

4:00 p.m.-Long Jump-women, men to follow
Hammer-women, men to follow
Discus (immediately after hammer), women, men to follow

5:00 p.m.-Pole Vault-women, men to follow
High Jump-women, men to follow
Triple Jump-women, men to follow

RUNNING EVENTS

6:00 p.m.-110 meter hurdles
6:10 p.m.-100 meter hurdles
6:20 p.m.-1500 meters-women
6:25 p.m.-1500 meters-men
6:30 p.m.-400 meters-women
6:35 p.m.-400 meters-men
6:40 p.m.-5000 meters-women
7:00 p.m.-5000 meters-men
7:10 p.m.-400 meter hurdles-women
7:15 p.m.-400 meter hurdles-men
7:20 p.m.-800 meters-women
7:30 p.m.-800 meters-men