Related Material
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Weekly Indoor Notes.pdf
2003 Top Performances.pdf
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ATHLETES OF THE WEEKMen - Taiwo Ajibade, a senior from Lagos, Nigeria, won the 60 meters title at the competitive Iowa State Classic. He won the race in a time of 6.67, .04 seconds better than his fastest time this season. The mark is also the fourth fastest time in the NCAA this season and moves his NCAA provisional mark up, .04 seconds.
Women - Allison Beckford, a senior from Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Jamaica, won the 400 meters at the Armory Track Invitational with an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 52.34. The time is a new Armory Track and Field Center record, as well as the Armory Collegiate Invitational record. The 52.34 is the fastest time in the NCAA this season, 1.73 seconds better than her previous season high.
OTHER NOMINATIONSMen - Kyle Carano of Fresno State won the triple jump at the Bill Cosby Invitational with a jump of 15.77m. The mark is his career best and the second-best jump in the WAC this season ... Jerry LaPoint of Louisiana Tech won his third weight throw title in as many events, tossing it 18.16m. He also posted a personal best in the shot put with a mark of 16.10m ... Tommy Olesky of Rice tied his WAC-leading long-jump distance of 7.67m. The mark is the ninth-best in the nation this season ... Mindi Pukstas of SMU broke his own school record that he set last week in the 5,000 meters. He knocked five seconds off his time, improving the mark to 13:45.10.
Women - Bergann Hernandez of Fresno State posted a mark of 3.90m in the pole vault to take first at the Bill Cosby Invitational ... Ayanna Alexander of Louisiana Tech was the top collegiate finisher in two events at the UH/Run Sport All-Comers Meet. Alexander cleared 5.91m in the long jump, and cleared 12.79m in the triple jump. Both marks are new school records ... Zivile Pukstiene of SMU set a new school record and bettered her NCAA provisional mark in the triple jump with a fifth-place leap of 12.92m at the Tyson Invitational. She was the third-best finisher among collegians ... Desiree Crichlow of UTEP provisionally qualified for two events at the Iowa State Classic. Her mark of 1.79m in the high jump is the ninth-best mark in the nation this season. In the triple jump, Crichlow leaped 12.70m.
NOTES FROM AROUND THE LEAGUEBoise State - The Broncos were off this past weekend as they prepare to host the WAC Championship, Feb. 27-March 1.
Fresno State - The Bulldogs traveled to Reno for the Bill Cosby Invitational, where the men picked up first place, while the women brought home second. Both the men and women are off this weekend preparing for the WAC Championship, Feb. 27-March 1.
Hawaii - The Rainbow Wahine dropped one of their two scheduled mainland meets in February and because of that, will not meet the NCAA minimum contest requirement. Originally Hawaii was scheduled to go to Seattle Feb. 15 to participate in the Washington Open where it would have picked up three seperate dual meets against other Division I teams. Those meets, along with the WAC Championship, would have given the Wahine the minimum of four requirements.
Louisiana Tech - Louisiana Tech traveled to Houston, for the UH/Run Sport All-Comers Meet. On the womens side, Ayanna Alexander set two new school records. Alexander cleared 5.91m in the long jump and 12.79m in the triple jump.
Nevada - The Wolf Pack hosted the Bill Cosby Invitational, taking first for the second-straight week. Nevada concludes its indoor regular season, hosting the Holiday Inn Classic, then it is off to Boise for the WAC Championship, Feb. 27-March 1.
Rice - The Owl women are ranked 23rd by Trackwire. The men ran a split squad, sending some to the Arkansas Invite, while others competed at the UH/Run Sport All Comers. The Owl women also competed at the UH/Run Sport, while some traveled to Ames, Iowa for the Iowa State Classic. The 2002 NCAA Indoor 400 meter Champion, Allison Beckford, assured herself a shot at another title, automaticially qualifying for NCAAs with a mark of 52.34.
SMU - The Mustangs traveled to Fayettville for the Arkansas Invite. The married couple of Mindi Pukstas and Zivlie Pukstiene has stellar weekends. Pukstas broke his own school record that he set last week in the 5,000 meters by five seconds, with a time of 13:45.10. The record sat for 21 years before last weekend. Pukstiene set a school record in the triple jump, clearing 12.92m, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championship. SMU is one of two teams competing this weekend, as they head to Norman, Okla., for the Sooner Invitational.
UTEP - The Miners competed at the Iowa State Classic for their final regular season meet before the WAC Championship, Feb. 27-March 1. The men look to repeat as champions, while the women have come on as of late, and will give defending champs Rice a real challenge.
Tulsa - The Golden Hurricane traveled to Fayetteville for the Arkansas Invite, where the women recorded five top-10 finishes. Tulsa has this weekend off, preparing for the WAC Championship, Feb. 27-March 1.
BOISE TO HOST 2003 WAC CHAMPIONSHIP - The 2003 Western Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship is going to be held at the Idaho Sports Center in Boise, Idaho. This years championship will be held Thursday, February 27 through Saturday, March 1.
In the 2002 Championship, the Rice women topped second-place finisher Nevada by 20 points, while UTEP ran away with the title earning 203 points to Rice's 139.33 on the mens side.
TRACKWIRE POLL - The Trackwire 25 projects a hypothetical score for the NCAA meet, factoring in injury reports and other variables supported by information gathered from coaches and NCAA-qualfying competitions across the country. This projection is generated by scoring the Dandy Dozen, a power ranking of the top 12 athletes and relay squads in each NCAA event.
The factors used to build the D12 include quantitative values that measure performances in past major competitions (such as conference championships, national championships and Olympic competition), durability and freedom from injuries, demonstrated ability to compete well in multiple rounds of competition, ability in other events, head-to-head competition with other top athletes, and personal or seasonal bests.