Track & Field Opens 2020-21 Slate Friday in Houston

Friday, January 29

Houston, Texas

Temple University

#HTownSpeedCity Series II

Track & Field Opens 2020-21 Slate Friday in Houston

1.28.21 | Women's Track and Field

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PHILADELPHIA – After a delayed start to the 2020-21 indoor track & field season, the Temple track & field team will compete in their first meet since February 2020 as they head to Houston, Texas for the #HTownSpeedCity Series meet on Friday, Jan. 29 at the Yeomen Fieldhouse.

Despite the hardships the team has faced throughout the unusual preseason with social distancing, quarantining and other challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon the program, Coach Forde and his squad are excited to get back on the track and compete.

"We are looking forward to the competition and it will give us a chance to evaluate our team for the first time in almost a year," stated Forde.

However, unlike any season before, both the track & field and the women's cross country teams will be competing simultaneously due to the COVID-19 pandemic pushing the traditional fall cross country season to the spring.

"The challenge this year is trying to balance the cross country season and the indoor track season as the distance runners will be competing in both," expressed head coach Elvis Forde. "We are trying to be as fair to (the distance runners) as possible and not have them run every single race in Houston because of the cross country championships coming up next week."

Freshman Léa Kerbiriou will be the only Owl competing both this weekend in Houston and next weekend at the American Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships in Wichita, Kansas on Feb. 6. The rest of Temple's women's cross country team will remain in Philadelphia to train and prepare for the upcoming championship meet.

Kerbiriou will compete alongside 2020 Indoor Champion and Temple's 800m record-holder Alanna Lally in the 800m.

"Alanna is one of our top 800 runners that will compete this weekend and fortunate for us, we have one of our freshmen that we are excited to see run, Léa. She is going to make her mark this weekend and we are excited to see how she will do," commented coach Forde.

Another impactful returner for the Owls is Aisha Brown, who took home gold in the high jump at the 2020 AAC Indoor Championships.

"Aisha has been really diligent in her preparation since the pandemic started," reflected Forde. "All during the summer and all during the fall training she's been working hard, so I'm expecting some good things to fall into place for her."

Also returning for the Owls are Mallorie Smith and Marissa White. Smith represented the Cherry and White in the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay at the 2020 AAC Indoor Championships. Both Smith and White were part of the 4x400m relay squad that ran the fastest time for Temple since 2016, clocking in at 3:44.81.

White ran her fastest-ever 400m at the 2020 AAC Championships with a time of 54.47 to earn fourth overall and collect five points for the Owls at the indoor championships.

Temple newcomers Mary Olayinka Ilelaboye and Nicole Castor are expected to make an impact in their first race in the Cherry and White. Ilelaboye, a junior transfer from Rider, was the 2020 MAAC 400m indoor champion and was a member of the winning DMR and 4x400m relay squad.

Rookie Castor is expected to participate in a number of different events this weekend as she competes in her first collegiate meet.

Competing against the Owls in Friday's meet are conference foes Cincinnati, SMU, Tulane, UCF and USF. Also expected to compete is the University of Texas San Antonio.

The first field event of the day will be the weight throw starting at 11:00 a.m. ET followed by the high jump, shot put, long jump, pole vault and triple jump. The running events begin at 1 p.m. ET, starting with the 3000m.