University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
Houston Indoor Classic
Track & Field Leads Way at Houston Indoor Classic
2/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Feb. 3, 2006
HOUSTON - No one ever told Houston junior Rachel Easley and Rice senior Funmi Jimoh that the pentathlon would be easy and after five hours of competition in its five events Friday in the Houston Indoor Invitational at the Yeoman Field House, they were true believers.
"It was torture," said Easley after struggling to finish the concluding 800 meters in her first multi-event of her career.
Jimoh, feeling loose and confident at the start of the 800, began the race tentatively and with good reason. It was her second multi-event in two weeks and her practice time had been cut by ankle and shin injuries.
Easley held a four-point lead over Jimoh, 3250 to 3246, following the first four events, and both seemed well on their way to attaining the provisional qualifying score of 3700 required for the NCAA Indoor next month. Jimoh rallied over the final two laps to place fourth in the 800 in 2 minutes, 30.12 seconds, worth 691 points and a final total of 3937, 237 ahead of Easley.
Easley's total of 3698 leaves her two points shy of a possible NCAA qualifier with the Conference USA Indoor Feb. 24-25 her only remaining chance. She barely managed to finish the race in 2:51.54.
The day nearly proved a disaster for Easley before the 800. She fouled on the first two of her three long jump attempts after winning the shot put with 40-3 1/4 to open a 116-point edge over Jimoh.
"That put a lot of stress on me emotionally," Easley said. "I knew I had to get in a legal jump or else because no points would have put me way down. That situation really drained me. Now, I will know how to handle it better if it happens again."
She did get in a mark of 18-9, worth 762 points and second to Jimoh's 19-11 1/2.
In high school at Duncanville, Easley usually competed in four to six events in the same meet.
"But none of them was ever the 800," she reminded.
Houston's men and women won their distance medley relay. Sesar Figueroa clocked 3:03.7 on the leadoff 1200 meters for the men with Justin McQueen turning in 48.6 in the 400, Chris White 1:55.9 in the 800 and Calum Neff 4:14.8 on the 1600 for a C-USA season best of 10:03.29. Jennifer Hayes, LaNeeka Allen, Tiffany Abney and Oumama Hallal took the Lady Cougars to a time of 12:13.08.
Texas A&M ex Allen Bulick, competing unattached, won the long jump (22-3 1/2) and shot put (44-5 1/2) while compiling a 32-point margin over Brandon Buteaux of UTSA after four events of the heptathlon. Rice ex Beth Spearman cleared 14-1 1/4 in the women's pole vault to break the meet record and equal the field house record.
Saturday's events start at 10 a.m. with field events with the first running event at noon.
Players Mentioned
