Louisiana Tech’s Women and Utah State’s Men Capture WAC Championships
FRESNO - Louisiana Tech’s women won the 2007 WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the third-straight year Saturday, compiling 162 points. Nevada placed second, edging out Idaho, 123 to 121. The Wolf Pack’s second-place finish ties for the best finish ever at an outdoor championship in the WAC. Boise State took fourth with 116.5 points, improving two places from 2006. Utah State edged out Hawai`i for fifth place, scoring 97.5 points to the Rainbow Wahine's 97. Host school Fresno State placed seventh with 82 points, followed by New Mexico State in eighth with 20 points.
For the men, Utah State won their first WAC outdoor championship with 183 points. Boise State placed second with 141 points, followed by Louisiana Tech in third with 117. Host Fresno State placed finished fourth with 102 points, edging out Idaho in fifth with 100 points.
The fourth and final day of competition at the 2007 WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Fresno, Calif. began with field event finals. For the women, Boise State’s Annika Hjelm won the women’s hammer with an NCAA Regional qualifying throw of 61.14 meters. In the women’s discus, Hawai`i’s Novelle Murray won the event for the third time in five outdoor championships with a Regional qualifying mark of 56.44m, her best of the season. Boise State’s Eleni Kafourou claimed her second gold of the tournament in the women’s triple jump with a Regional qualifying jump of 13.10m. Kafourou also placed first in the long jump on Friday with a Regional qualifying leap of 6.21m. Hawai`i sophomore Emily Sheppard jumped 1.75m to win the high jump, posting a Regional qualifying mark.
In the men’s field event finals, Boise State’s Scott Viafore took gold in the javelin with an NCAA Regional qualifying toss of 65.53 meters. In the men’s triple jump, Louisiana Tech senior Matthew Craig grabbed his second gold of the tournament with a Regional qualifying leap of 15.76m. Craig also took first in Friday’s long jump. Louisiana Tech teammate John Kent won the 110m hurdles with a Regional qualifying time of 14.20 seconds. In the men’s shot put, Erik Whittsitt of Boise State placed first with a Regional qualifying heave of 18.38m. Fresno State freshman Andrew Pancotti won the pole vault, posting a season-best mark of 4.95m.
The running events kicked off with the women’s 4x100-meter relay. Louisiana Tech’s team of seniors Latonia Wilson, Sophia Jackson and Lasadies McClain and freshman Kamelia Stroy stood atop the medal stand after a season-best run of 45.19 seconds. This is the fifth-straight year a 4x100m relay team from Louisiana Tech has captured gold. In the women’s 1,500 meters, Boise State’s Breanna Sande captured first with a season-best, Regional qualifying time of 4:27.16. Utah State senior Amber Peterson won the 100m hurdles with a season-best and Regional qualifying time of 13.56 seconds. Later Saturday afternoon Peterson broke a Warmerdam Field track record to win the women’s 400m hurdles with a season-best and Regional qualifying time of 58.55.
In the women’s 400m dash, Louisiana Tech senior Nina Gilbert ran a Regional qualifying time of 53.48 to claim first for the first-straight year. Louisiana Tech senior Latonia Wilson captured gold in both the 100m dash and 200m dash, with Regional qualifying times 11.47 and 23.46 seconds, respectively. Amy Eagan of Utah State picked up gold in the women’s 800m run with a Regional qualifying time of 2:09.22. Boise State senior Becky Guyette claimed her second gold of the championship with a time of 17:20.71 in the 5,000-meter run. Guyette captured first in the 10,000-meter run on Friday. Boise State's women's 4x400m relay team of sophomores Kayleen McDowell, Megan Olivetti, Paige Olivetti and Nerisha Phillip hung on to out-run Louisiana Tech for first place with a time of 3:43.06.
In the men’s running events, Louisiana Tech’s 4x100m relay team of junior Mark Dillard and sophomores Deron Trotter, Mike Coleman and Albert Fullwood placed first with a season best, Regional qualifying time of 40.33 seconds. Louisiana Tech teammate Albert Fullwood ran the men’s 400m dash in a season-best time of 46.80 seconds to place first and post Regional qualifying time. Ty Axtman of Boise State defended his title in the 1500-meter run, crossing the finish line at 3:52.25.
Idaho junior Bastien Tardy won the men’s 800m run with a time of 1:52.35. Utah State sophomore Nick Karren ran a Regional qualifying, season-best time of 51.56 seconds to claim gold in the men’s 400m hurdles. Louisiana Tech’s Mike Coleman was a double-individual champion, placing first in the 100m dash and 200m dash with season-best and Regional qualifying times of 10.33 and 21.14 seconds, respectively. In the men’s 5,000 meters, Boise State senior Braden Forest picked up his second gold of the tournament with a time of 14:48.02. Forest also placed first in the 10,000 meters on Friday. In the last race of the meet, Louisiana Tech's 4x400m relay team edged out Utah State's by four-hundredths of a second to claim first with a time of 3:11.86.
Individual Honors (as voted on by the coaches)
Women
Freshman of the Year: Latoya Collins, Louisiana Tech
Coach of the Year: Gary Stanley, Louisiana Tech
Outstanding Performer: Latonia Wilson, Sr., Lousisiana Tech
High Point Award Winner: Latonia Wilson, Louisiana Tech, 24.5 points
Men
Freshman of the Year: Albert Fullwood, Louisiana Tech
Coach of the Year: Gregg Gensel, Utah State
Outstanding Performer: Mike Coleman, So., Louisiana Tech
High Point Award Winner: Forest Braden, Boise State, 28 points
The All-WAC First Team is made up of each event’s final places of first through third, and the All-WAC Second Team includes places four through six.
-WAC-
| 2007 WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship Schedule |
| Wednesday, May 9 |
Thursday, May 10 |
| Multi-Events (day 1) |
Multi-Events (day 2) |
| 1:00 p.m. |
Decathlon |
1:00 p.m. |
Decathlon |
| 1:30 p.m. |
Heptathlon |
1:30 p.m. |
Heptathlon |
| Friday, May 11 |
Saturday, May 12 |
| Field Events (All Events are Final) |
Field Events (All Events are Final) |
| 12:30 p.m. |
Men's Hammer |
12:30 p.m. |
Women's Hammer |
| 3:30 p.m. |
Women's Javelin |
3:30 p.m. |
Men's Javelin |
| 3:30 p.m. |
Men's Long Jump |
3:30 p.m. |
Men's Triple Jump |
| 4:30 p.m. |
Women's Pole Vault |
4:30 p.m. |
Men's Pole Vault |
| 5:30 p.m. |
Women's Shot Put |
5:30 p.m. |
Men's Shot Put |
| 5:30 p.m. |
Men's Discus |
5:30 p.m. |
Women's Discus |
| 5:30 p.m. |
Men's High Jump |
5:30 p.m. |
Women's High Jump |
| 5:30 p.m. |
Women's Long Jump |
5:30 p.m. |
Women's Triple Jump |
| Track Events |
Track Events (All Events are Final) |
| 2:00 p.m. |
1500-Meters (Women-Prelims) |
5:00 p.m. |
4x100-Meter Relay (Women) |
| 2:15 p.m. |
1500-Meters (Men-Prelims) |
5:05 p.m. |
4x100-Meter Relay (Men) |
| 2:30 p.m. |
100-Meter Hurdles (Women-Prelims) |
5:12 p.m. |
1,500-Meters (Women) |
| 2:45 p.m. |
110-Meter Hurdles (Men-Prelims) |
5:19 p.m. |
1,500-Meters (Men) |
| 3:00 p.m. |
400-Meters (Women-Prelims) |
5:25 p.m. |
100-Meter Hurdles (Women) |
| 3:15 p.m. |
400-Meters (Men-Prelims) |
5:30 p.m. |
110-Meter Hurdles (Men) |
| 3:25 p.m. |
100-Meters (Women-Prelims) |
5:35 p.m. |
400-Meters (Women) |
| 3:45 p.m. |
100-Meters (Men-Prelims) |
5:40 p.m. |
400-Meters (Men) |
| 4:05 p.m. |
800-Meters (Women-Prelims) |
5:50 p.m. |
100-Meters (Women) |
| 4:25 p.m. |
800-Meters (Men-Prelims) |
5:55 p.m. |
100-Meters (Men) |
| 4:40 p.m. |
400-Meter Hurdles (Women-Prelims) |
6:00 p.m. |
800-Meters (Women) |
| 5:00 p.m. |
400-Meter Hurdles (Men-Prelims) |
6:07 p.m. |
800-Meters (Men) |
| 5:15 p.m. |
200-Meters (Women-Prelims) |
6:15 p.m. |
400-Meter Hurdles (Women) |
| 5:35 p.m. |
200-Meters (Men-Prelims) |
6:20 p.m. |
400-Meter Hurdles (Men) |
| 5:50 p.m. |
3,000-Meter Steeplechase (Women-Final) |
6:25 p.m. |
200-Meters (Women) |
| 6:05 p.m. |
3,000-Meter Steeplechase (Men-Final) |
6:30 p.m. |
200-Meters (Men) |
| 6:30 p.m. |
10,000-Meters (Women-Final) |
6:40 p.m. |
5,000-Meters (Women) |
| 7:15p.m. |
10,000-Meters (Men-Final) |
7:00 p.m. |
5,000-Meters (Men) |
|
7:20 p.m. |
4x400-Meter Relay (Women) |
| |
7:25 p.m. |
4x400-Meter Relay (Men) |
All times Pacific
TOP PERFORMANCES ? The WAC is featuring its Weekly Top Performances online again this season. Visit WACSports.com or click here to locate the top marks for the WAC, Regions and NCAA.
NCAA REGIONAL SITES ? There are four sites selected for the NCAA Regional Championships. Each site will host May 25-26, 2007. The following are the sites and information.
East Region
Host: University of Florida
Percy Beard Track and Field
Gainesville, Florida
Mideast Region
Host: University of Missouri
Audrey J. Walton Soccer and Track Stadium
Columbia, Missouri
West Region
Host: University of Oregon
Hayward Field
Eugene, Oregon
Midwest Region
Host: Drake University
Drake Stadium
Des Moines, Iowa
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP ? The 2007 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship returns to Sacramento, Calif., June 6-9, 2007. Sacramento State is the event’s host.
Finals June 6-9, 2007
A.G. Spanos Sports Complex
Sacramento, Calif.
Hosts: Sacramento State and Sacramento Sports Commission
Ticket info: 916/566-2400
Web site: hornetsports.com