DENVER ? Fresno State’s Frank Sanders and Idaho’s Mike Carpenter have been named the Western Athletic Conference Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week for the week of Apr. 14-20. This is the first career WAC Outdoor Athlete of the Week honor for both Sanders and Carpenter. This is the first season that honors for both “Track” and “Field” athletes will be awarded each week.
Sanders, a sophomore from Turlock, Calif., (Pitman) clocked a WAC-best and NCAA Regional qualifying time of 3:50.42 to win the 1,500-meter run at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. Sanders registered another WAC-leading and NCAA Regional qualifying time of 1:50.08 in the 800-meter run to finish second in the event. Sander’s season-best times in both the 800 and the 1,500-meter runs lead the WAC by over two seconds.
Carpenter, a sophomore from Canby, Ore., (Canby) became the first Vandal ever to clear 17 feet in the pole vault, winning the event at the Mt. SAC Relays with a career-best and WAC-leading clearance of 17’ 0.75”. Carpenter’s vault was also an NCAA Regional qualifying mark and broke a 24-year old Idaho school record of 16’ 1” by nearly a foot. Carpenter’s vault moves him into fourth in the West Region and 20th in the NCAA this season.
Other Track nominees included: Nick Cunningham of Boise State won the 200-meter dash at the Azusa Pacific Invitational with a personal-best time of 21.20, good for second in the WAC, and also finished 13th in the 100-meter dash with a personal-best time of 10.61 ... Paul Dittmer of Idaho ran a WAC-best and NCAA Regional qualifying time of 14.09 in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing fifth at the Long Beach Invitational, registering the third-best time in Vandal history ... Mike Coleman of Louisiana Tech took third in both the 100 and 200-meter dash events at the John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., with WAC-best times of 10.41 and 20.98, respectively ... Silas Pimental of Utah State notched two NCAA Regional qualifying times at the Mark Faldmo Invitational in Logan, Utah, placing second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.45, the third-fastest in Aggie history, and taking third in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.21.
Other Field nominees included: Ryan Grinnell of Boise State won the triple jump at the Azusa Pacific Invitational with a WAC-best and NCAA Regional qualifying mark of 52’ 7.5” (16.04m), and also took fifth in the long jump with a leap of 23’ 6” (7.18m) ... Oscar Rodriguez of Fresno State threw a season-best 57’ 4.25” (17.48m) in the shot put at the Mt. SAC Relays, finishing second and improving his NCAA Regional qualifying mark by nearly a foot ... Larry Jones of Louisiana Tech captured the discus title at the John McDonnell Invitational with an NCAA Regional qualifying mark of 170’ 10” (52.08m) ... Blake Hadfield of Utah State registered two NCAA Regional qualifying marks at the Mark Faldmo Invitational, winning the triple jump with a personal-best leap of 49’ 5” (15.06m) and placed second in the long jump with a distance of 24’ 4.25” (7.42m).
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