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Weekly Release.pdf
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The SMU mens team is starting off the season ranked 10th in the nation according to Trackwire. The Mustangs are led by a quadrant of throwers all ranking in the top seven in the nation. Last week a number of the week WAC teams competed in the Texas Relays.
Clilck on the .pdf to the right to see how your teams' top athletes earned new season bests.
WAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Rices Ben Wiggins and Louisiana Techs Doria Appleberry have been named the Western Athletic Conference mens and womens Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively.
Wiggins, a junior from College Station, Texas, won the 400-meter hurdles at the 2004 Texas Relays. Running in lane nine, Wiggins was in fifth heading into the final 100 meters, then made up ground over the final hurdle, surging ahead through the final 30 meters to win in 50.27. He edged Florida's Dwight Ruff by 0.2 seconds with his regional qualifying time. Wiggins is the first Rice male Texas Relays 400-hurdles champion since Bryan Bronson in 1994.
Appleberry, a junior from Dallas, Texas, set the school record in the 400-hurdles while also being a part of two relay teams that also broke Tech records. Appleberry ran a 58.74 to set the school record and post a regional qualifying mark in the 400-hurdles. She also ran the third leg on the 4x100-meter relay that ran a time of 44.59 to set the school mark while recording a regional qualifying mark as the team advanced to the finals and finished fourth behind LSU, Baylor and Miami. In the 4x200 meter relay that set a school record of 1:35.38 and finished third, she led off the team. Appleberry also ran on the nationally-ranked mile relay and helped them qualify for the finals but the relay dropped the baton in the finals.
OTHERS NOMINATED
MEN - Keron Francis, Boise State; Joe Vasquez, Fresno State and Michael Robertson, SMU.
WOMEN - Abbey Elsberry, Boise State; Zinzi Evans, Fresno State; Tasha Monroe, HawaiI; Caira Hane, Nevada and Nevena Lendel, SMU.
SMU RANKED 10TH IN THE NATION - The SMU mens team is starting off the season ranked 10th in the nation according to Trackwire. The Mustangs are led by a quadrant of throwers all ranking in the top seven in the nation. In the discus, Michael Robertson and Hannes Hopley are rated first and second, respectivley, according to Trackwires Dandy Dozen. In the hammer throw, Jerome Bortoluzzi and Sasha Lutsenko are fifth and seventh, respectivley. The 2003 Indoor Freshman of the Year, Mickael Hanany is 11th in the high jump.
UTEPS ERENG JOINS DRAKE RELAYS ATHLETES HALL OF FAME - UTEP head cross country coach and Olympic gold medallist Paul Ereng will be inducted into the Drake Relays Athletes Hall of Fame during an April 22 reception in DesMoines, Iowa. Ereng's induction will increase membership in to the Drake Relays Athletes Hall of Fame to 195. The Athletes Hall of Fame was established in 1959 during the Golden Anniversary of the Drake Relays with 72 charter members, including Jesse Owens who was named the outstanding performer during the first half century of the Drake Relays. Ereng was a three-time NCAA champion, a four-time NCAA All-American, the 1988 Olympic gold medallist in Seoul, South Korea; a two-time World Indoor champion and a former world record holder.
2004 TRACKWIRE DANDY DOZEN
April 6
MEN
Steeplechase
3. Mircea Bogdan, UTEP
400m-Hurdles
6. Ben Wiggins, Rice
High Jump
8. Henderson Dottin, UTEP
11. Mickael Hanany, SMU
Triple Jump
12. Kendrick Johnson, Boise State
Discus
1. Michael Robertson, SMU
2. Hannes Hopley, SMU
Hammer
5. Jerome Bortoluzzi, SMU
7. Sasha Lutsenko, SMU
Javelin
8. Gabriel Wallin, Boise State
9. Keron Francis, Boise State
Decathlon
6. Ryan Harlan, Rice
WOMEN
400 Meters
4. Allison Beckford, Rice
10,000 Meters
9. Karin van Rooyen, SMU
400m-Hurdles
5. Allison Beckford, Rice
4x100 Relay
6. Louisiana Tech
10. Rice
High Jump
6. Nvenna Lendel, SMU
8. Desiree Crichlow, UTEP
Pole Vault
10. Beth Hinshaw, Rice
Triple Jump
10. Ayanna Alexander, Louisiana Tech
11. LaVada Hill SMU
Javelin
4. Lindsey Johnson, Boise State
5. Andrea Kvetova, SMU
6. Brenda-Grace Hunt, Louisiana Tech
2004 WAC CHAMPIONSHIP TO HELD IN HOUSTON - The 2004 edition of the WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship will be held, May 12-15 at the Rice Track Stadiium on the campus of Rice in Houston. The mulit events are scheduled for Wednesday, May 12 and Thursday, May 13 with the preliminaries and finals scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Rice last hosted the outdoor championship in 2002. The UTEP men and Rice women look to defend their 2003 outdoor titles.