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February 15, 2008 > Sports > Reece returns to lead women’s track at Bayou City

Reece returns to lead women’s track at Bayou City

By Natalie Clericuzio | Thresher Editorial Staff

Sophomore Shakera Reece was riding high as the summer of 2007 began. She had posted NCAA outdoor qualifying times in both the 100- and 200-meters, and she earned Conference USA Newcomer of the Year honors. But before she could revel in her accomplishments, Reece suffered a hip flexor injury that kept her inactive for more than half a year.

Now, though, Reece’s injury is no more than a distant memory, and that news could not have come any sooner for the women’s track and field team. Competing in her first meet since the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships last June, Reece was in full force at the Bayou City Championships, held last weekend at the University of Houston’s Yeoman Field House. The Barbados native took first place in the 60-meter dash, one of seven first place marks Rice secured at the meet.

Head coach Jim Bevan said Reece’s return is a welcome sight.

“Sprinters are like sports cars,” Bevan said. “They have to be very finely tuned, there’s so much force and power that [the sprint] happens so quick and that if anything’s gone wrong, then you can cause a lot more problems. We won’t know for sure [if she’s healthy] until she’s gotten a few more meets underway, but I think she’ll be fine.”

The Owls travel to Fayetteville, Ark., today to compete in the Tyson Invitational. Held at the Randal Tyson Track Center, perhaps the premier indoor track facility in the country and a regular host of the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, this meet will feature some of the top teams in the country, including three top-five finishers from last year’s NCAA Championships: Louisiana State University, the University of Tennessee and the University of Georgia. In addition to the tough collegiate competition, the Owls will face a host of unattached runners, jumpers and throwers who are in the midst of preparation for the Olympic Trials in June. The Tyson Invitational should be the Owls’ toughest meet of the season before the C-USA Championships.

At the very least, today’s meet should be a lot tougher than the Bayou Championships, where Rice main competitors came solely from Texas. The Owls dominated from the beginning, as sophomore Eunique Hamilton grabbed two top spots in the both the high jump and the triple jump, with jumps of five feet, 6.5 inches and 40 feet, 3.25 inches, respectively. In addition to her gold medals, Hamilton’s triple-jump finish was a lifetime-best length. Rice also garnered a field event gold when freshman Ari Ince cleared 12-01 on the pole vault.

Senior Desarie Walwyn also took second in the 200 meters with a time of 25.05 seconds, beating sophomore Sarah Lyons by only .06 seconds.

Not to be outdone by their teammates, Rice’s distance runners also stifled the competition. Senior Lennie Waite, who took first in the 800 at the Houston Invitational Feb. 2, switched gears to take first in the mile with a time of 4 minutes, 49.26 seconds. Four other Owls rounded out the top five in the mile, as well. Sophomore Victoria Walker took the 800 this time around, clocking in at 2:15.01. Rice also swept the medal stand in this event, with sophomore Nicole Mericle coming in second at 2:16.32 and junior Claire Shorall placing third at 2:16.69. Additionally, senior Marissa Daniels also ran in her first meet back after suffering an injury, taking second in the 3,000 with a time of 10:01.37. However, Daniels could not keep up with freshman Becky Wade, who grabbed a win in the 3,000 in 9:58.35.

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