Jan. 29, 2008

Coach Smolka Interview: Weekly Preview

BOCA RATON, FL - One week after competing in the Tom Jones Classic, the Florida Atlantic track team will return to the campus of the University of Florida to compete in the Gainesville Sports Commission Indoors on Saturday.

The Owls had a very good showing at the Tom Jones Classic. The 4x400 relay team of Yanique Booth, Trishauna Clarke, Brandi Prather and Kerry-Ann Stewart set a school record in the event in a time of 3:50.56. "In the past, we had runners who didn't want to run the relays because they were tired at the end of the meet, but we had a team meeting and talked about taking pride in the team and now everyone wants to run the relays," said head track coach Alex Smolka. "It has made our decision about who's going to run the relays a lot harder, but that is a good thing."

Sophomore Friederike Feil set a personal record in the mile and was one of four runners to set a personal record on the day joining Patricia Gumbs, Toni Jackson and Charlene Luxama who all outdid their previous efforts in the 800 meters.

Feil was also a member of the distance medley relay team that finished second only to host Florida in a stacked field in that event. Christina Dutko, Jackson and Lindsay Glover comprised the rest of that very successful unit.

The Gainesville Sports Commission Indoors will be held in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on the campus of the University of Florida. Events start at 9 a.m.