Student breaks track record, earns All-America honor

(June 15, 2005)--UTSA junior Ryanne Dupree earned her second straight All-America certificate with a school record-setting performance in the women's heptathlon Saturday on the final day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif.

Dupree broke her own school record in the seven-event competition with 5,575 points, bettering her previous career best of 5,465 set in winning the Southland Conference title in May. She ended up just two points behind seventh-place finisher LaToya McBride of Mississippi (5,577) and only 20 behind Diana Pickler of Washington State (5,595) for sixth place. Lela V. Nelson of Eastern Michigan won the heptathlon with 5,878 points followed by Jessica Stockard of Georgia with 5,794 and Ashley Selig of Nebraska with 5,775.

Dupree entered Saturday in fifth place with 3,444 points behind strong performances in the 100-meter hurdles (13.51) and 200 meters (24.48). The SLC Women's Outdoor Athlete of the Year opened the day with a 19-3 1/4 measure in the long jump which briefly moved her to fourth place. Dupree then fell to seventh after a 103-4 mark in the javelin. Dupree, who took seventh in this event at last year's NCAA Outdoor in Austin, Texas, closed with a 2:20.54 in the 800m to round out her record-setting performance.

With her second All-America showing, Dupree becomes just the third female athlete in school history to garner multiple All-America accolades outdoors, joining Tameka Roberts and Jody Dunston.

--Kyle Stephens