Caisja Faces Giants at Texas Relays

Cincinnati freshman Caisja Chandler is one of 135 runners slated to compete in the 100-meter dash at the Texas Relays, Friday, March 29.

Named the American Athletic Conference's Freshman of the Year at the AAC Indoor Championship meet, Chandler starts her outdoor season among some of the best runners in the nation.

In her heat, she faces All-American freshman Sha'Carri Richardson who finished seventh in the 60-meter dash (7.27) at the NCAA Indoor Championship meet. According to the IAAF, Richardson is the 40th ranked sprinter in the country as of March 26.

Adding on to the number of tough competitors in Chandler's heat is Tiffani Johnson of Texas Tech. Johnson ranks 53rd nationally and placed fourth in the Big 12 Championship 60-meter dash finals race at 7.35. She opened the outdoor season with a win at the Texas Tech Fearless Championship open with a time of 11.44.

Another strong runner in her heat is Texas A&M's Amber Ivy who is ranked 94th in the nation. At last week's Roadrunner Invitational, in San Antonio, she placed third with a time of 11.76.

Chandler will also line up against a conference foe in Houston's Brianne Bethel. A native of the Bahamas, she placed second (7.30) at the AAC Indoor Championships. She currently ranks ahead of all but 37 Americans in the world and is first of all runners from her home country.

It would be considered a big feat if Chandler takes a win among this group and awaiting her would be even steeper competition. Among the 135 competitors is Texas' Teahna Daniels who is 16th in the nation. At last year's Texas Relays she placed seventh but it appears her days of finishing that far away from the lead are in the past. After winning the Big 12 indoor crown at 7.22, the senior topped that time with a second place finish at the national meet at 7.19, earlier this month.

Another national standout, Arkansas senior Kiara Parker enters this weekend's festivities ranked 11th nationally. Parker placed eighth in the national indoor final (7.32) after placing fourth in the SEC Championship (7.31). Her time of 7.15 in the 60-meter dash at the Razorback Invitational, Jan. 25, during indoor season was tops in the nation until LSU senior Kortnei Johnson bested it 20 days later at 7.14, during the LSU Twilight meet.

National Cinderella Jaliyah Elliott shows up to once again put her skills to the test against elite competition. Elliott qualified for the indoor national semifinals out of Youngstown State, as the only female from her conference to make it that far this year. Ranked 71st in the nation, the junior ran a conference record time of 7.25 at the Horizon League Indoor Championships after stringing together wins at Penn State National, State Mid-Major Invite, Doug Raymond Invite and Zips Invitational. Elliott also registered a second place finish at the Orange and Purple Elite meet held at Clemson.

Texas A&M's Tyra Gittens returns to action.

After sitting out the indoor season with an injury, Tyra Gittens has returned to action. The sophomore started off at the Baldy Castillo Invitational, March 16, at Arizona State where she beat 16 others in the high jump competition at 1.81. She also competed in the javelin placing 15th. The next weekend she placed 11th in the shot put at the Roadrunner Invitational.

This week she competed in the heptathlon at the Texas Relays where she placed 10th of 24 with 851 points. Erin Marsh of Duke led all competitors with 934 points. Gittens shined in the high jump portion with a leading leap of 1.87. Gittens is the top ranked athlete of her native Trinidad and Tobago in the heptathlon. She currently ranks 59th worldwide.