Kent State Golden Flash Gala 2010

After a successful start to the indoor track season, the Rockets will look to carry their momentum into this weekend when they head east to the Golden Flash Gala, hosted by Kent State. Toledo started the indoor campaign last weekend at the Findlay Oiler Opener with several standout performances. Making her Rockets debut, junior Alex Afloari jumped her way into the school record-books with a leap of 38-7 in the triple jump, which ranks seventh on the all-time performance list. Freshman Kiah Douglas (Saginaw, MI) also found success in her first showing, as she took first in the long jump (18-11 1/4).

The Xavier track and field team is gearing up for the Golden Flash Invitational hosted by Kent State University on Saturday. After a great start at last weekend's Oiler Invitational, the Muskies are looking to continue to improve in their indoor season.

In the opening day of the Golden Flash Gala, the University of Cincinnati women's indoor track and field team's first meet of the season, senior Jasmine Cotten picked up right where she left off last season with a NCAA Provisional qualifying mark in the pentathlon. Cotten finished with 4,056, just 19 points shy of the NCAA Automatic qualifying mark.

Sophomore Ari Fisher (Lebanon, OH) made her indoor track debut one to remember as she won the 5000 meter run to lead the Rockets in day one action at the Golden Flash Gala. Fisher, the MAC Cross Country champion and NCAA qualifier, claimed the title in a time of 16:48.66, over 20 seconds better than second place. Her mark is the fastest in the country to date and the fifth-fastest in school-history, and is also just four seconds away from an NCAA qualifying time. She was competing for the first time this season, and in addition to the MAC title, also won two other individual titles in cross country this fall.

Edwards takes second in 5000m; Nickles, Smith finish in heptathlon Top 10

Junior Alex Afloari took first in the triple jump to lead the Rockets track and field team at the second and final day of the Golden Flash Gala in Kent, OH. Afloari recorded a jump of 38-11.50, the sixth-best mark in school-history. She won the triple for the second week in a row, and was four and a half inches better than last week.

This week marks the end of the Cross Country season as the final national meet of the year, Foot Locker Nationals, took place at Balboa Park in San Diego.  Ohio's lone representative was Colby Alexander of Strongsville.

Two first-place, and two second-place finishes capped off an impressive second day performance by the University of Cincinnati women's indoor track and field teams as they competed in the Golden Flash Gala, there first meet of the season.

In a very competitive field, the Muskies showed well Saturday at the Golden Flash Invitational hosted by Kent State University. Head coach Steve Nester said of his team, "Looking at our times for this early in the indoor season, I am quite pleased. It was nice to get on a larger track from last week, with today's oval measuring 292 meters. We faced very good competition [and] our student-athletes really responded well."

Assistant coach Woods, redshirt freshman Nickles dominate heptathlon