There is a lot of optimism coming into the 2002 season for several reasons. The team has matured in a hurry. It has gone from a one-dimensional distance running team last season, to a team that has strengths in a variety of events. During the off-season, Coach David Cain recruited several newcomers specializing in sprints and field events. That should give the team a much better chance to compete for team titles at meets this season.

Among the newcomers, look for LaMardra Moore and Easter Grant to be strong competitors in the sprints and hurdles. Lauren Bussey should be a big contributor in several field events including the high jump, triple jump, pole vault, and javelin.

Newcomer Holly Coggins joins returning field event specialist Bristol Hartlage giving the team a real presence in the throwing events. Hartlage set the UAH marks for the shot put, discus and javelin last season. UAH women's basketball player LaDasha Tompkins joins the team and along with Melinda Phillips will contribute in the high jump and 400m Relays.

Last year, a very strong group of distance runners carried the load for the team, and Coach Cain says that this years distance group is even better. The middle distance events, the 800m and 1500m, will have cross country standouts Natalie Fahey and Lesley Davis leading the way.

The longer distance events of the 3000m, 5000m, and 10,000m is where the team has the most depth. This group is led by the iron horse Aytree Blalock. Aytree was the team's first qualifier to the NCAA Track Championship last year in the 5000m. She set the bar in all five long distance events. Also, look for Amy Phillips, Candace Chambers, Courtney Hurst, and Rachel Robinson to score points for the team in the distance events.

There are several meets, such as the Sewanee meets, Big Cat, and the very first UAH home meet, in which Coach Cain believes the Chargers will have a good shot at winning as a team.

The Chargers will also compete in a couple of high level meets such as Auburn and Sea Ray Relays. Those meets feature some of the best athletes in the country. Coach Cain feels that running in such top meets puts the team in very high levels of competition and raises their level of performance.

"In our first season last year, we were excited that Aytree qualified and made the finals in the 5000m at the national meet," said Cain. "I believe we have several team members that have the ability to qualify for nationals this season, but there is a lot of hard work to be done in preparation for that opportunity." "I think if everyone works hard and can avoid injury we will have a great outcome to the season."

First Meet: Sewanee Indoor Invitational, Sewanee, TN, February 23