Lady'Backs to open Texas Relays on Thursday

AUSTIN, Texas – After a tremendous start to the 2005 outdoor track season, the University of Arkansas Lady Razorback track team hopes to continue its string of performances when it travels to the 78th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas, for the weekend.

Concentrating on the relay races rather than the individual events, Arkansas has assembled a stellar 4×800-meter relay team with the likes of NCAA indoor 800-meter champion Aneita Denton, indoor all-Americans Paige Farrell and Dacia Barr and four-time all-American Erica Sigmont. The quartet gets things started on Thursday as they enter the competition with the meet’s fastest mark, but expect solid competition from school’s like Stanford, Oklahoma and Texas.

“This is possibly our best 4×800-meter relay team ever,” Arkansas head coach Lance Harter said. “They could challenge our school record in the event if they perform as expected. We also have solid relay teams in the sprint and distance medleys.”

Other Lady Razorbacks scheduled to compete on Thursday include Arkansas record holder Brandy Blackwood in the hammer throw and freshman Beth Fahey in the 5,000 meters. Fahey’s race will be the first track competition of her career.

Looking to repeat her success from a year ago, junior Maureen Scott is scheduled to race in the steeplechase on Friday evening. Last season, Scott became the sixth individual to win a Texas Relays title when she ran a then career best 10:24.00. She would later run much faster on way to all-America honors in the event, but hopes to become the first Lady Razorback to win back-to-back honors as well as the first to win multiple individual titles at the prestigious competition.

Competition at the relays continues throughout the weekend, ending on Saturday evening. For more information about Lady Razorback track or about Arkansas women’s athletics, please go to www.ladybacks.com.