No Texas Women at Penn!

[Walt Murphy]

Walt Murphy's News and Results Service

When the NCAA went to Regional qualifying for its Div.I Championships last year, the directors of the major spring relay carnivals expressed concern over the effect that the ensuing schedule changes would have on their meets.

The first major ripple from that decision was felt on Wednesday when Texas coach Bev Kearney told Penn Relays Director Dave Johnson that her women's team, which includes Sanya Richards and that great 4x400 team that smashed the collegiate record last week, would not be coming to Penn this year. Long a mainstay at Penn, Texas beat LSU in a great 4x400 at last year's meet, and also won that event five years in a row from 1995-1999.

Since the Big-12 Championships are being held this year a week after Penn(there was a 3-week gap last year), school officials didn't want the athletes to miss so many days of school in such a short period of time. The Texas men's team will have a limited presence at this year's Relays and Texas A&M, another Big-12 regular at Penn, is also passing up this year's meet.

[Dutra]

Re: No Texas Women at Penn!

>Walt Murphy's News and Results Service



Since the Big-12 Championships are being held this year a week
>after Penn(there was a 3-week gap last year), school officials didn't want the
>athletes to miss so many days of school in such a short period of time.>>

I gotta laugh at this one.

I wonder if there would have been the same concern if the Texas basketball team had made it to the Final Four as I picked them in our pool and ultimately was the choice that cost me a win.

signed

bitter 'horn picker

[abinferno]

Re: No Texas Women at Penn!

Actually, the Big 12 championship wasn't moved up because of regionals, so our teams aren't missing Penn because of regionals. They moved the Big 12's up because of some school's finals schedule. I think it is absolutely idiotic to have our conference this early, but some people had to whine.

[Helen S.]

Re: No Texas Women at Penn!

Maybe the track athletes at Texas are concerned with academics more than many basketball teams? It would not suprise me.

[dl]

Re: No Texas Women at Penn!

Teams can't afford to stay away from Penn. It'll hurt them too much in recruiting. Kids love the meet and aren't going to go to a school that skips it every year, IMHO.

[gm]

Re: No Texas Women at Penn!

East coast kids, maybe; from the rest of the country -- doubt if they really care/know much about Penn.

[tandfman]

Re: No Texas Women at Penn!

C'mon, gm. You know perfectly well that some of Texas's best women athletes over the past few years have been recruited from the East Coast.

[Dutra]

Re: No Texas Women at Penn!

>Maybe the track athletes at Texas are concerned with academics more than many
>y basketball teams? It would not suprise me.>>

LOL

[gm]

Re: No Texas Women at Penn!

>C'mon, gm. You know perfectly well that some of Texas's best women athletes
>over the past few years have been recruited from the East Coast.


I didn't say they hadn't!

I just pointed out that schools that don't recruit the East coast don't worry much about Penn.

[KevinM]

Re: No Texas Women at Penn!

Teams like Texas may be able to stay away from Penn, but teams that rely heavily on Jamaicans will (TCU, LSU, etc) would have harder times.

[Walt Murphy]

Re: No Texas Women at Penn!

>Actually, the Big 12 championship wasn't moved up because of regionals, so our
>teams aren't missing Penn because of regionals. They moved the Big 12's up
>because of some school's finals schedule. I think it is absolutely idiotic to
>have our conference this early, but some people had to whine.

It's my understanding that the Regional DID have an effect on the Texas decision to bypass Penn. Because of the final exams schedule for some Big-12 schools, the conference had to place its championship on the 1st or 4th weekend in May. Since the Regional is being held on the 5th weekend, the decision was made to go with the earlier date, thereby creating the "problem" with Penn. If anyone has infornation to the contrary, please let me know.

[abinferno]

Re: No Texas Women at Penn!

I don't really understand why they had to choose from the first or fourth. It's worked fine for as long as I've been here to have it in the middle of the month. They could have easily picked one of the other weekends not one week away from regionals. Now, instead of going to conference without worrying about finals, the meet is the weekend before our finals start. Too much stress.