December 10, 1999

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Louisville women's track team got strong showings from its All-Conference throwers and a precocious freshman group to finish second in the team's indoor season-opener at the University of Kentucky's Nutter Fieldhouse Friday.

The Cardinals finished with 114 points, just two points behind first-place Kentucky. Eastern Kentucky (101) placed third and Georgia Tech (75) was fourth in the four-team event.

Freshman Randelene Sergent captured the pole vault with a school-record height of 10-6, which also equaled the winning height at last year's Conference USA Outdoor Championships. Sergant, who was a sprinter/long jumper in high school, was competing in her first-ever vaulting event.

Other freshmen with notable efforts were Alanna Mestelle, who recorded a school indoor best for the 60m dash (7.85) and placed second in the high jump (5-4 ¼), Marian McDonald, who lowered the school indoor record in the 200 (25.91), and Brittany Hedgepeth, who produced the program's best-ever freshman long jump (18-8), missing the school's record by just ¼ inch.

First-year junior college transfer Cindy Roberson was second in the pole vault (9-6), while freshman long sprinter Stefanie Wooten gave the 4x400 relay a boost with a strong 58.7 leg.

The Cardinal throwers picked up where they left off last year with a 1-2 finish in the shot put and a 2-5 placing in the 20 lb. weight throw. Sophomore Shola Kadiri produced efforts of 42-11 in the shot put and 49-5 in the weight throw to place first and second, respectively. Junior Trish Young recorded a 42-7 throw in the shot put, while junior Melissa Gale threw the weight 49-3 for near personal bests.

"We have definitely made progress," said U of L head coach Gene Weis. "We're closer to having a comprehensive, competitive team, and this was just the season-opener. We have a long way to go. It is exciting, however, that our young people have provided some results to help validate the talent we suspected they had!"