Sometimes they both think about what might have been.
And with a sigh, coach Brenda Cash imagines what kind of stridesKeenan Gibson and The University of Memphis women's track teammight have been able to make if Gibson could return for anotherseason.
Gibson is the fastest woman at The U of M, but because of herage, 24, she was only granted three years of eligibility, insteadof four.
However, the sprinter made the most of this, her final season,by finishing 10th in the nation in the 100-meter dash inSacramento, Calif. last week.
Gibson ran an 11.72 and missed qualifying for the finals andbecoming an All-American by one spot, or in track terms,four-hundredths of a second.
"It was the best way to end her career," Cash said. "After the(semifinal heat) was over she said, 'boy I would have liked thosefinals."
Gibson was the first female track athlete to qualify fornationals since Cash took over and rebuilt the program in 1985.
"I didn't think it would take this long," Cash, a formerAll-American at Arizona State," Cash said. "To have someone who wasdirectly under my tutelage go to nationals was a real confidencebooster for me as a coach."
Gibson was not the only Tiger in town.
Mate Nemeth was competing in the 3000-meter Steeplechase andGaute Myklebust was entered in both the discus and shot put.
Nemeth was the lone Tiger to qualify for the finals and finished12th with a time of 8:47.54.
Myklebust, who was named Conference USA Outdoor Track and FieldAthlete of the Year, missed the finals in the shot put byone-fourth of a meter.
The Norwegian also finished 14th in the discus, which was notgood enough to qualify for the finals.
Myklebust's threw for a U of M school record and personal bestof 58.33m. Although Myklebust gave his best performance to date,his throw fell in comparsion to SMU's Hannes Hopley throw of59.20m.
Freshman Myklebust and sophomore Nemeth have years as a Tiger toimprove unlike Gibson.
Her career at Memphis may be over, but Trinidad native is notfinished running.
She is currently training for another track meet, this time asan independent, and has aspirations of running in the Olympics forTrinidad and Tobago.
"She's looking at the possibility of competing for her country,"Cash said.
She said Gibson surely has the determination and work ethic torepresent her country.
"She has always been a great sprinter," Cash said. "We were justfine-tuning her. She put in the work and the time to make herselfjust that much better."
Cash hopes she won't have to wait 18 more years for anotherKeenan Gibson.
