Sports

ASU women like their chances

Scott Chancey

WALNUT, Calif. — The reigning SIAC champion Albany State women’s track and field team is doing a little of their own California Dreamin’ this week.

Taking seven athletes to the NCAA Division II meet that begins today at California State Polytechnic University, ASU coach Kenneth Taylor could not be more optimistic.

After all, his team finished a program-best sixth last season.

“We’re excited about going,” Taylor said. “We’ve got a lot of top-rated athletes, and all of them are going as top-eight performers. Both of our relay teams are even ranked third.”

Roxie Griffin is ranked first in the 400 meters (53.46 seconds) and second in the 200 (23.94), and teammate Estella Moore is seventh in the 100 (11.74) and 17th in the 200 (24.49). Tamika Kinchen is fifth in the 400 (2 minutes, 10.07 seconds), Shaneka Birdsong is eighth in the 100 hurdles (14.20) and Candice Camp is fourth in the triple jump (12.38 meters). The 4x100 relay team of Camp, Moore, Griffin and Cherrisa Brockington enters the meet at third (45.76) and the 4x400 (Moore, Kinchen, Griffin, Robin Thomas) is at third at 3:43.81.

“For me, rankings are always a boost in the sense that it gives you ... security that you’re one of the best competitors in the country,” Moore said. “You just hope for the best (at nationals).”

This week could be an extraordinary one for Griffin, but she is still cautiously approaching the meet.

“The confidence of being ranked helps a lot, but you never know what’s going to happen,” Griffin said. “Nothing is promised.”

Taylor has tried a new training regimen with athletes like Griffin and Kinchen and the two Lady Rams seem to be peaking at the right time.

“Roxie has just reached the crest of the surface of her potential,” Taylor said. “We’ve been working on a program that I developed based on what world-class athletes use, and she and Tamika are way ahead of their training. They’re right on track on where they are supposed to be.”

The biggest surprise on the team, however, appears to be the relay team’s third-place ranking entering this week. The 4x400 posted its qualifying time at a last-chance meet at Florida State.

“That is really exciting because that was the first time all four of us ran together,” Griffin said. “We were kind of concerned at first, but now we’re really excited.”

Taylor is just as curious to see how the relay teams will fare this week.

“They were certainly the biggest surprise to me,” Taylor said. “They weren’t expected to be where they are, but now I am totally infatuated with their results.”

The national meet, however, is the athletes’ only chance to leave a lasting impression since only the results in California determine national champions and All-Americans.

“You have to know that everybody will bring their best game, so you have to be more relaxed and know where to shift your energy,” Moore said.

And ASU will have plenty of that.

“It would mean a lot,” Griffin said. “It would mean that all the hard work paid off.”

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