TBT’s Maxwell signs with Central Arkansas

Posted Aug 13, 2010 by Bill Ward

Updated Aug 13, 2010 at 07:39 PM

Tampa Bay Tech track and field standout Tanesha Maxwell, a member of the Tampa Tribune’s first team all-county squad her entire prep career, has signed a scholarship with the University of Central Arkansas, longtime area youth track coach Steven Rivers announced Friday.

“She has sneaked under the radar of a lot of universities but I think Central Arkansas is going to find out they’ve discovered a gold mine with Tanesha,” said Rivers, who recently joined the coaching staff at TBT. “I fully expect her to run under 12 seconds (for 100 meters) her first year there.”

Had it not been for a hamstring injury at her district finals, Maxwell likely would have eclipsed 12 seconds her senior season for the Titans. She had already run 12.10 for the 100 and 25.38 for the 200. Maxwell reached the Class 3A state finals as a freshman, sophomore and junior, with her top performance an eighth-place finish in 2009. Had it not been for her late-season injury this year, Maxwell likely would have made a return to the medals podium, this time in 4A.

Central Arkansas competes in NCAA Division I track and field and compete in the Southland Conference. The school’s most famous athlete is former NBA star Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls.