McKnight's silver helps North Texas to conference title

[Harry]

visit to Florida earlier this month wasn’t just a trip to the beach for Deja McKnight.

Well, that was part of the experience, but McKnight and her University of North Texas women’s track and field teammates definitely earned a little fun in Miramar, Fla.

North Texas won the Sun Belt Conference Championships women’s team title for the second consecutive year May 12 at Florida International’s Ansin Sports Complex.

A 2011 Odessa High School graduate, McKnight finished her sophomore season for the Mean Green by finishing second in the women’s shot put. It was McKnight’s top individual conference finish, and the fourth time in as many tries she has scored at championship meets — Indoor and Outdoor — for North Texas.

“That was exciting,” McKnight said of the performance in Florida. “Everybody wants a ring. It’s the meet we all focus on so we can get a ring.”

The North Texas women accomplished that last season for the first time since 2003 when McKnight was a freshman. She scored two points with a seventh-place finish in shot put, aiding the team’s four-point victory margin.

This season’s spread was a more comfortable 20.5 points, but McKnight’s eight points earned again were vital and she is in the center of North Texas’ celebration photos with the team trophy on meangreensports.com.

That is no mistake, according to North Texas throws coach Pete Abbey.

Read more: http://www.oaoa.com/sports/local/article_35c1f1a8-c1c3-11e2-afa8-0019bb30f31a.html