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Nampa, Idaho - The Nevada women and the SMU men take home the 2003 Western Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field crowns, earning 127.5 and 147 points, respectively. Individual honors went to Allison Beckford of Rice and Ray Ardill of Boise State, and Dalibor Balgac of SMU, who all received the WAC's Outstanding Performance award. Taking home Freshman of the Year honors, were Olatunde Okusanya and Gerardo Cerrarsco of UTEP. Coach of the Year honores went to the two team champions, Curt Kraft of Nevada and Dave Wollman of SMU. The High Point Awards were handed out to Rice's Beckford and Ryan Harlan.
Finishing in second place for the men was Rice with 139 points, followed by defending champion, UTEP (116.5), Boise State (92), Fresno State (80.5), Louisiana Tech (44) and Tulsa (39). For the women, Rice earned runner-up honors with 120 points, while UTEP (93), SMU (80), Louisiana Tech (71), Tulsa (62), Fresno State (53), Boise State (43.5) and Hawaii (10) round out the women's side.
In the women's mile, 2002 WAC Champion, Corine van Beek of UTEP, grabbed the first gold medal of the day, taking home the title in a run-away time of 4:49.94. Rice's Megan Sandler fought off Rika Reuth of SMU to take home second, posting a time of 4:56.07. Reuth's time of 4:56.53 was enough to hold off Kara June of Fresno State, who had the top time in the WAC in the mile all season. In the men's mile, SMU's Dalibor Balgac and Martin Allgeyer fought for the last 100 meters, with Balgac pulling away and taking home the gold, crossing at 4:11.27. Allgeyer picked up the silver, posting a time of 4:12.19 helping the Mustangs pickup 18 quick points on the day. Bashir Ibrahim of UTEP, the 2002 WAC champion, grabbed third with a time of 4:13.08.
The women's 60-meter hurdles was decided by .01 of a second, with Nevada finishing one-two. Chanika Corley of Nevada edged her teammate, Allison Sewell, 8.58 to 8.59. Rice grabbed third and fourth, with Tiane Burke posting a time of 8.66, while fellow Owl Funmi Jimoh crossed at 8.73. Ryan Harlan defended his title from a year ago, posting a time of 7.92 for his second gold medal of the championship (pentathlon). In second was Tulsa's Devonne Harrison who edged Ben Wiggins of Rice, 8.17 to 8.18.
The women's 20lb. weight throw was the first field event awarded on the day, giving Boise State's Abbey Elsberry the gold. Her heave of 19.32m (63-4 3/4) is both a season-best and an NCAA automatic mark. Elsberry was second in this event last season. In second was fellow Bronco, Charlene Hawthorne who had a heave of 18.13m. Grabbing the bronze was Nevada's Janine Bodo who earned a mark of 16.56m.
Allison Beckford of Rice became the first-ever women's WAC indoor track and field athlete to win four-straight year's in one event, when she posted a time of 53.97 in the 400 meters, taking home the 2003 crown. Taking second and picking up the silver, was Tulsa's Jamese James who edged UTEP's Lucyann Richards by .20 seconds, earning a time of 55.00.
Boise State's Ray Ardill successfully defended his 400-meter title from 2002, posting the fastest time in the WAC this season, a school-record 47.24. In second was Ben Wiggins of Rice who registered a time of 48.19 with Richard Petty finishing third, recording a time of 48.24.
The women's long jump went to SMU's LaVada Hill who cleared 6.15m (20-2 1/4) to better her second-place performance from last year. Rounding out the medalist was Louisiana Tech's Ayanna Alexander and Sara Gelin, who marked distances of 5.89m and 5.67m, respectivley.
The men's pole vault was decided at 5.08m (16-8), when Russell Weaver of Fresno State cleared the mark. David Jacobs and Ryan Harlan of Rice grabbed silver and bronze, crossing the bar at 4.75m (tiebreaker went to Jacobs).
The 60 meters was won by UTEP's Taiwo Ajibade who earned a mark of 6.76. In second was Kevin Garrett of SMU (6.81) with Boise State's Francis Ngapout (6.87) taking the bronze. The women's was decided by . 03 seconds, with Rice's Nina Mayes bringing home gold. Louisiana Tech's Shandra Freeman took silver (7.51), while UTEP's Olatunde Okusanya was third (7.56).
In the women's 800 meters, Jose van der Veen of UTEP claimed a new Jackson Track record, posting a time of 2:08.74. Taking home the silver was Nicole McRae of Nevada (2:09.01), with fellow Wolf Pack Julie Hinton grabbing third (2:09.37). Adam Davis of Rice defended his title, setting a new WAC Championship record, earning at time of 1:49.92 in the 800 meters. In second was Daniel Pessing of Rice with a time 1:50.11, while Fresno State's Roosevelt Cook was third (1:51.52).
UTEP's Olatunde Okusanya picked up the 200 meters title with a NCAA provisional mark at 23.84. Grabbing the silver was Allison Beckford of Rice (24.24), with third going to Paula Richardson of Tulsa (24.27). Boise State's Ray Ardill picked up his second gold of the championship, posting a time of 21.23 in the 200 meter. Second went to Taiwo Ajibade of UTEP (21.31), while third place went to Boise State's Francis Ngapout (21.39).
Adriana Pirtea of UTEP picked up another distance title, posting a WAC record time of 9:45.39 in the 3,000 meters. Following Pirtea was Hawaii's Victoria Chang (9:52.66) and Sarah Haskins of Tulsa (10:04.89). Mindi Pukstas lost a late lead to Dalibor Balgac who finished two seconds ahead of his teammate. Balgac posted an 8:16.10, while Pukstas crossed at 8:18.37. Bringing home the sweep was fellow Mustang Martin Allgeyer who earned a time of 8:21.68.
Closing out the championship was the 4x400 meter relay's with Rice taking home the both titles. The women posted a time of 3:40.40, while the men registered a mark of 3:12.78.
WAC Awards
Women
Freshman of the Year: Olatunde Okusanya, UTEP
High Point Award: Allison Beckford, Rice
Outstanding Performer: Allison Beckford, Rice
Coach of the Year: Curt Kraft
Men
Freshman of the Year: Gerardo Carrasco, UTEP
High Point Award: Ryan Harlan, Rice
Co-Outstanding Performers: Dalibor Balgac, SMU; Ray Ardill, Boise State
Coach of the Year: Dave Wollman, SMU