DENVER ? This week, only two schools are in action, with the other five schools preparting for the WAC Championships in Boise, Idaho, Feb. 28-Mar. 1. Hawai?i will host the Terry Albritton Invitational, Feb. 23, in Honolulu, while Idaho will travel to Pullman, Wash., to compete in the Washington State Indoor Open II, Feb. 22-23. Boise State, Fresno State, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, New Mexico State and Utah State will all take the week off to prepare for the WAC Championships in two weeks.
MEN’S ATHLETES OF THE WEEK (Feb. 11-17)
Louisiana Tech’s Albert Fullwood and Idaho’s Russ Winger have been named the Western Athletic Conference Men’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week for the week of Feb. 11-17. This is the first career WAC Indoor Athlete of the Week honor for Fullwood and the sixth career honor for Winger, winning three times this season, once as a junior and two times his sophomore season.
Fullwood, a sophomore from Shreveport, La., (C.E. Byrd), ran a school record-breaking 47.42 in the 400-meter dash at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., breaking a 13-year old Bulldog record. His 400-meter time places Fullwood atop the WAC standings by nearly a full second.
Winger, a senior from Colorado Springs, Colo., (Pine Creek), took down the Washington Dempsey Indoor facility record in the shot put at the Husky Classic with a season-best toss of 66’ 6.5”, winning the event by nearly eight feet and breaking the previous facility record by a foot. The throw is the second-best of Winger’s indoor career and is the best in the WAC by more than 10 feet. It is also the 10th-best throw in the world this year and the second-best in the nation. Winger also took sixth in the 35-pound weight throw with a toss of 63’ 11”.
Other Track nominees included: Nick Taylor of Boise State won the qualifying portion of the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.79, which is fifth in the WAC this season, and also ran the anchor leg of the winning 4x400-meter relay team, posting a season-best time of 3:21.65 in the event ... Paul Dittmer of Idaho ran just short of record pace in the 60-meter hurdles at the Husky Classic, placing second overall and recording a time of 7.97, extending his WAC lead in the event for the fifth-straight week ... Steve Strickland of Utah State improved his WAC-leading time in the 3,000-meter run by four seconds with a 8:20.21 which is the third-best time in Aggie history.
WOMEN’S ATHLETES OF THE WEEK (Feb. 11-17)
Nevada’s Amanda Moreno and Louisiana Tech’s Nadia Alexander have been named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week for the week of Feb. 11-17. This is the first career WAC Indoor Athlete of the Week honor for both Moreno and Alexander.
Moreno, a freshman from Stockton, Calif., (Escalon), captured the 3,000-meter run at the Washington Open Meet with a time of 9:46.40, improving on her previous personal-best time by 31 seconds. Her 3,000-meter time is the best in the WAC this season and is the second-fastest time in Wolf Pack history.
Alexander, a senior from Kingston, Jamaica, (St. Hughes), broke the Louisiana Tech school record in the shot put with a throw of 53’ 7.5”, earning a collegiate fourth-place finish at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., improving her NCAA provisional qualifying mark by over a foot-and-a-half. Her throw ranks first in the WAC this season and is currently 10th in the nation.
Other Track nominees included: Paige Olivetti of Boise State registered season-best times in both the 200 and 400-meter dash events, posting times of 24.91 and 56.36, good for sixth and third in the WAC this season, respectively ... Thalia Amanakis of Hawai’i set a new school record in the 60-meter hurdles (8.68), and also recorded personal bests in the 400-meter dash (55.64) and the 800-meter run (2:10.65) ... Melissa McFaddan of Idaho ran a personal-best 17:52.72 in the 5,000-meter run at the Husky Classic, good for third in the WAC this season ... Devin Brooks of New Mexico State tied her own Aggie school record in the 60-meter hurdles, registering a time of 8.68 at the Southwest Classic Invitational ... Amy Egan of Utah State raced to a school record-breaking performance in the 800-meter run with a second-place finish at the Husky Classic in a time of 2:08.77, making her a NCAA provisional qualifier and improving her WAC-leading time by two seconds.
Other Field nominees included: Annelise Bertleson of Boise State eclipsed her own school record in the pole vault, reaching a height of 12’ 9” (3.89m), topping her own record by 1.5” ... Meghan Weaver of Hawai’i threw a school record and NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the shot put, tossing 50’ 9.5” (15.48m) at the Washington Open Meet ... Mykael Bothum of Idaho placed fifth out of 28 in the shot put at the Husky Classic with a throw of 47’ 11” ... Constance McAlman of Nevada earned a personal best in the weight throw at the Washington Open Meet with a toss of 58’ 6.75”, placing her fourth all-time in Wolf Pack history ... Jordan Veney of New Mexico State recorded a personal-best in the weight throw at the Southwest Classic Invitational, tossing 52’ 6” ... Sonia Grabowska of Utah State improved a personal best for the third meet in a row, clearing 12’ 9” at the Boise State Invitational, tying her for second in the WAC.
IDAHO’S WINGER ONE OF NATION’S BEST ? Idaho Vandal senior Russ Winger threw a lifetime-best 67’ 3.5” in the men’s weight throw at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational at Lincoln, Neb., to take third and give him the nation’s tenth-best throw in the event. The throw was also an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. At the Vandal Indoor on Feb. 8, Winger threw a nation-leading 65’ 8.25” in the shot put to improve his NCAA lead for the third-consecutive competition. In the indoor discus, Winger heaved the discus 192’ 7” to squeeze past Washington State’s All-American Matt Lamb, surpassing Vandal legend and 10-time All-American Joachim Olsen to earn the Idaho school record.
Winger’s season bests give him current world rankings of 14th in the shot put and 17th in the weight throw. He is the only athlete in the world to hold top-20 rankings in both indoor throwing events.
BOISE STATE’S KAFOUROU SETS TWO SCHOOL RECORDS ? Boise State junior Eleni Kafourou recorded two school records in the long jump and the triple jump, with leaps of 20’ 8.5” (6.31m) and 43’ 0.5” (13.12m), respectively. She stands atop the leader board in the WAC and Boise State indoor track and field history in the long jump and the triple jump. Kafourou is currently ranked sixth in the nation in both jumping events.
Boise State Broncos
Boise State closed out is regular season, as the Broncos hosted the Boise State Team Invitational, Feb. 15-16 ... sophomore Annelise Bertleson broke her own school record and moved into second-place in the WAC in the pole vault, clearing the height of 12’ 9” (3.89m) ... the Broncos finished one-two in the men’s long jump as Heigo Nurmsula posted a 22’ 10.25” (6.97m) and Eric Demers registered a 22’ 9.25” (6.94m) ... Zacharias Arnos captured the triple jump with a leap of 50’ 8” (15.44m), while Simon Wardhaugh won the men’s weight throw with a mark of 66’ 2.25” (20.17m) ... senior Kayleen McDowell claimed the 800-meter with a time of 2:15.12 for her first victory of the season, while Nataucha Lowry won the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.76, also the first victory for her this season ... four Broncos earned season-best times in the mile as Katherine Gallagher posted a 5:16.81, Carly Gerard recorded a 5:17.62, Pamila Ward registered a 5:22.07 and Laura Johnson clocked a 5:41.46 ... up next, the Broncos will return to action in two weeks when they host the WAC Championships, Feb. 28-Mar. 1.
Fresno State Bulldogs
Fresno State championed 11 of the 15 events at the Northern Arizona Fourway Challenge in Flagstaff, Ariz., Feb. 9, taking home first place with 211 points ... Rayna White won the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.66, while Tiera Hilliard dominated the 200-meter dash, finishing in 24.84 with Christina Lopez just behind her at 25.31 for second ... Erica McCoy bested the competition for the 400-meter crown in 57.63, and Krystina Jackson won the 60-meter hurdles at 8.68 ... Roxanne Sellick took first in the mile (5:43.17) with teammate Brianna Cleary coming in second at 5:47.51 ... the Bulldogs swept the relays, winning the 4x400-meter by four seconds with a time of 3:54.80, while the distance medley team finished first in 14:10.76 ... Cara Montes took home the pole vault title with a season best of 12’ 1.5” (3.70m) ... Rosario Sanchez won the shot put with a toss of 49’ 7” (15.11m), while Sharon Ayala captured the weight toss title with a mark of 60’ 11.25” (18.57m) ... the Bulldogs take nearly two weeks off before competing at the WAC Indoor Championships in Boise, Idaho, Feb. 28-Mar. 1.
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine
Hawai?i tallied 11 personal bests, three school records and one NCAA provisional mark at the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., Feb. 16 ... senior Mallory Gilbert tied the school record set by teammated Emily Sheppard after clearing 5’ 10.5 “(1.79m) in the high jump to finish second ... junior Thalia Amanakis broke her own school record in the 60-meter hurdles, posting a time of 8.68 ... Amanakis also set a personal best in the 800-meter (2:10.65) and broke the school record in the 400-meter dash, clocking a time of 55.64 ... the Rainbow Wahine 4x400-meter relay team of Amanakis, Sam Whitehall, Renee Elbourne and Constance Rosenthal broke the indoor school mark with a time of 3:52.77 ... senior Meghan Weaver also bettered her own school record in the shot put at the Washington Open, tossing 50’ 8.5” (15.48m) to win the event ... Weaver’s mark was a NCAA provisional qualifying mark ... up next, the Rainbow Wahine host the Terry Albrittion Invitational, Saturday, Feb. 23, in Honolulu.
Idaho Vandals
Idaho retuns home from Seattle, Wash., after recording 13 personal bests at the Husky Classic, Feb. 15-16 ... senior Russ Winger hit an NCAA automatic qualifying mark for the fourth-consecutive meet, improving his season-best mark by nearly a foot and breaking the facility record in the shot put, hurling 66’ 6.5” ... junior jumper David Holmon became the fourth Vandal to hit an NCAA qualifying mark this season, soaring a career-best 50’ 10” in the triple jump to finish second ... freshman Paul Dittmer took second in the 60-meter hurdles, turning in a personal best time of 7.97, just one one-hundreth of a second off the Idaho school record ... sophomore Melissa McFaddan knocked 23 seconds off her previous personal-best in the 5,000-meter run, finishing with a time of 17:52.72, and now ranks third in the WAC in the event ... Bastien Tardy also turned in a season-best 1:51.83 in the men’s 800-meter to further establish his supremacy in the event, as nearly three seconds separates him from the next-best WAC runner ... the Vandals will return to action in two weeks at the WAC Championships, Feb. 28-Mar. 1.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Louisiana Tech returns home from Fayetteville, Ark., after competing in the Tyson Invitational ... sophomore Albert Fullwood turned in a school record-breaking time of 47.42 in the men’s 400-meter dash, shattering Lamont Leach’s record of 48.21, set back in 1995 ... Fullwood also ran a 21.52 in the 200-meter dash, good for second in the WAC this season ... senior Nadia Alexander followed Fullwood’s lead, breaking the school record in the women’s shot put with a throw of 53’ 7.5”, tallying a collegiate fourth-place finish and the top mark in the WAC ... Alexander improved her NCAA provisional mark by over a foot-and-a-half and ranks her 10th in the nation ... senior Lasadies McClain improved her WAC-leading mark in the 200-meter dash, clocking a time of 24.32 ... senior Cory Denstel finished the mile with a time of 4:16.88, while junior El Charrita Reynolds and Kamelia Stroy also finished with solid times in the 400-meter dash at 56.02 and 56.83, respectively ... Louisiana Tech will return to action in two weeks at the WAC Championships, Feb. 28-Mar. 1, in Boise, Idaho.
Nevada Wolf Pack
Nevada returns home from Seattle, Wash., after competing in the Husky Classic and the Washington Open Meet, Feb. 16-17 ... freshman Kereiona Johnson ran an impressive 8.72 in the 60-meter hurdles, the third-fastest time in Wolf Pack history ... Inger Appanaitis finished 10th in the weight throw with a mark of 54’ 3.75”, while Constance McAlman took 12th with a personal-best toss of 54’ 1.25” ... Analisa Serano set two personal-bests, clocking a 7.84 in the 60-meter dash and a 8.75 in the 60-meter hurdles ... freshman Amanda Moreno ran the second-fastest time in school history in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 9:46.40, beating her previous best by 31 seconds ... sophomore Samantha Davis won the mile run with a personal-best time of 4:56.80, while Polly Smith won the 800-meter run with a career-best time of 2:16.22 ... the Wolf Pack will return to action in two weeks at the WAC Championships, Feb. 28-Mar. 1, in Boise, Idaho.
New Mexico State Aggies
New Mexico State competed in the Southwest Classic Invitational in Flagstaff, Ariz., Feb. 16 ... freshman hurdler Devin Brooks finished first and tied her own Aggie school record in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 8.68 ... Brooks also recorded a season-best time in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.79, placing her fourth overall and sixth all-time in Aggie history ... in the weight throw, sophomore Jordan Veney recorded a mark of 52’ 6”, which is four-feet farther than her previous personal best ... sophomore Michelle Barnard also posted a strong mark in the weight throw, launching 47’ 5.25” and placing her seventh overall ... freshman sprinter Derrhea Mcliechey registered a career-best in the 400-meter dash, clocking a time of 58.81, while sophomore Caprice Bradshaw notched a personal best and seventh-place finish in the 800-meter run (2:29.84) ... in the 3,000-meter run, freshman Amy Arenas registered a personal best time of 11:24.93 ... up next, the Aggies will have a week off to prepare for the WAC Championships, Feb. 28-Mar. 1, in Boise, Idaho.
Utah State Aggies
Utah State athletes competed in both the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash. and the Boise State Team Invitational in Boise, Idaho ... senior Amy Egan raced to a second-place and school record-breaking finish in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:08.27 ... Egan’s time was a NCAA provisional qualifying mark and increases her WAC-lead in the event to nearly three seconds ... freshman Katelyn Jensen finished 10th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.20 ... the Aggies recorded eight top-three finishes at the Boise State Team Invitational, including three event winners in freshman Alicia Holt (mile run), sophomore Jennifer Scheiss (high jump) and junior Krista Larson (weight throw) ... senior Stacie Lifferth-Dorius ran a WAC-best 9:53.25 in the 3,000-meter run ... junior Nick Karren improved his WAC-leading time in the 400-meter dash, clocking a 46.55, while junior Seth Wold ran a WAC-best 14:26.19 in the 5,000-meter run, bettering his previous WAC-leading mark by over 30 seconds ... the Aggies will return to action in two weeks at the WAC Championships, Feb. 28-Mar. 1.
WAC CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO BOISE ? The 2008 edition of the WAC Championship returns to Idaho Sports Center and Jacksons Track in Nampa, Idaho. The meet will be held Feb. 28-March 1 with the multi-events on Feb. 28 and 29, and the preliminaries and finals on Feb. 29 and March 1.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP ? The 2008 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship returns to Fayetteville, Ark., March 10-11. The University of Arkansas is hosting the event.
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