May 9, 2008

KENNESAW, Ga. - The Kennesaw State women's track & field team will travel to Clemson, S.C., this weekend to compete in the Purple and Orange Classic. The one day event, at the Rock Norman Track Complex will feature some of most competitive teams in the region, including the host Tigers.

"This is our final meet before the conference championship," said head coach Don McGarey. "We have a great opportunity by participating in this event, because the Atlantic Sun Championship will be held here next week. Our ladies are going to run this meet like they were racing in the championship."

Leading the way for the Owls will be sprint specialist Shantela Davis. The junior currently holds the fastest conference time for the 400m dash (55.57). This weekend she will try to lower her time below 55 seconds to help ensure that she places at conference. Davis will then return to the track to compete in the 200m dash and the 4x100m relay, where she will lead the team of Lakeshia Stinson, Sandi Brown and Jill Arthur.

"Shantela has become a real leader on this team," said sprint coach Devin West. "We rely on her to run a lot of races and she gives it 100 percent. But, the 400m is still her bread and butter. That's the race that she is really focused on. In these last two weeks she is going to turn in some monster times."

In mid-distance events, Soibhan Wolcott will participate in the 800m dash. Last season at the A-Sun Championship, Wolcott won the 800m race. The sophomore now holds the second fastest time in the A-Sun (2:08.43) behind Janel Grooms of Jacksonville University (2:18.02). This weekend Wolcott will try to improve her skills as she prepares for another run at the top prize.

Running in the 5k race will be the KSU's distance experts Mackenzie Howe and Britany Reilly. The two runners have had a solid season that included Howe winning the Clemson Relays. On Saturday she will attempt to repeat that success against a strong field of runners. Also in distance events, Katie Charles will run the 3k steeplechase. Charles now sits in sixth place in the conference rankings. If she can improve her time at the Purple and Orange Classic she stands a chance of scoring needed points at the conference meet.

On the field, freshman Ana Ruiz will compete in the hammer throw, shot put, discus and javelin. Ruiz has single handedly rewritten the KSU record book this season. She has set every throwing record expect in the javelin. This weekend she leads a strong team of field athletes as they prepare for the A-Sun Championship.

The Clemson Purple and Orange Classic will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday and will conclude around 5 p.m.