Jones breaks track record, four Grizzlies set NCAA qualifiers at indoor opener

GOLDEN, Colo.- Junior KayMarie Jones (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica) broke teammate and countrywoman Indira Spence's (Trelawny, Jamaica) Steinhauer Fieldhouse in the 300 meters and was one of four Grizzlies to set a NCAA Division II Championship provisional qualifying mark for the Adams State College women's indoor track team at Friday's Colorado School of Mines Alumni Extravaganza.

Jones, who had earlier posted a provisional qualifying time of 7.64 seconds (7.66-altitude adjusted) to take third in the 60 meters, won the 300 meters in 40.31, edging Spence's former facility record of 40.33 set at last year's meet.

Freshman Zenobia Sims (Sierra Vista, Ariz.) also set a provisional qualifying time of 7.69 seconds (7.71-altitude adjusted) in the 60 meters, finishing fifth overall and first in her heat and collegiate debut race.

Jones' 300-meter win was one of three for the Grizzlies in their season-opening meet as redshirt freshman Katie Kruger (Alamosa, Colo.) claimed shot put victory with a provisional qualifying heave of 13.68 meters (44 feet, 10 ž inches).   Junior Annelise Pradal (Aubiere, France) also set a provisional qualifying mark of 3.65 meters (11' 11 ž"), to take second place in the pole vault.  That clearance was just ž inches off her own indoor school record.

The Grizzlies also received an event win from junior Jenna Bohnen (Erie, Colo.) in the weight throw, who put up a throw of 15.09 meters (49'6 ź").  Kruger took second in that event with a heave of 13.20 meters (43'3 ž").

Meanwhile, former Grizzly all-American Vanessa Roy, still a student at ASC, won both the 600 and 1,000-meter runs with track record times of 1:37.24 and 3:02.55.

Chadron State transfer Alyssa Guy (Akron, Colo.) was second behind Roy in the 600 meters with a time of 1:41.94.

Also finishing second for the Grizzlies was sophomore Rebecca Lindquist (Fort Collins, Colo.) in the shot put with a toss of 12.25 meters (40' 2 ź").

The Grizzlies' other top finishers were sophomore Tanisha Thomas (Fountain, Colo.) in the 1,000 meters, unrelated freshman Krystal Thomas (Aurora, Colo.) in the long jump and freshman Amber Lowther (Rocky Ford, Colo.) in the high jump.  Tanisha Thomas was fifth with a time of 3:30.18 while Krystal Thomas also finished fifth with a leap of 5.23 meters (17'1 ž") finishing just ahead of teammate Lindsay Jantzi (Phoenix, Ariz.), who recorded a mark of 5.08 meters (16'8") to take sixth.

Lowther and fellow Grizzly freshman Ali Canty (Sanford, Colo.) both cleared 1.47 meters (4'9 ž") with Lowther claiming sixth thanks to her first attempt clearance at the height.

The Grizzly men also had two event winners at the meet, the only one of the 2010 portion of the season.  The Grizzlies will resume action on Jan. 22, 2011 at the University of New Mexico's Cherry & Silver Invitational in the Albuquerque Convention Center, the same building that the Grizzlies will host the NCAA Division II National Championships in on Mar. 11 and 12.

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