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Day Three Championship Photos
BOISE, IDAHO - With seven events in the books, Boise State’s men and Idaho’s women are in the lead after day three of the four-day WAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. For the men, Boise State leads with 72 points, followed by Utah State with 56 points and Fresno State with 39 points. Idaho is in fourth with 33.5 points and Louisiana Tech is fifth with 14. 5 points. For the women, Idaho remains in the lead with 88 points, Hawai’i is second with 38.5 points and Nevada is third with 33 points. Fresno State holds fourth place with 29.5 points, followed closely by Louisiana Tech (28) and Utah State (23). New Mexico State is seventh with 20.5 points and Boise State is eighth with 12.5 points.
Today’s events started with the men’s hammer throw, with Boise State taking the top two positions. Junior Simon Wardhaugh earned the gold medal with a season-best toss of 226’ 6” (69.05m), while senior and last year’s champion Jarrod Stevens finished second with a season-best launch of 217’ 8” (66.35m). Wardhaugh’s winning throw currently ranks third-best in the NCAA, while Stevens’ toss sits in 12th in the NCAA. Idaho senior Marcus Mattox set a Vandal school-record with a throw of 211’ 7” (64.49m). All three top finishers registered NCAA Regional qualifying marks.
Utah State sophomore Steve Strickland crossed the finish line first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, clocking a time of 9:11.16, while Aggie freshman Chio Lopez placed second with a season-best time of 9:15.75. Louisiana Tech senior Kinsey Dinnel finished third with a time of 9:17.20.
Boise State took the top two spots in the men’s long jump, with junior Savvas Diakonikolas beating out teammate Ryan Grinnell for the gold medal. Diakonikolas recorded an NCAA Regional qualifying and season-best leap of 25’ 1.075” (7.89m), while Grinnell also registered an NCAA Regional mark of 25’ 7.25” (7.80m). Diakonikolas’ winning throw currently ranks 10th-best in the NCAA. Diakonikolas and Grinnell also finished one-two at the WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in February. Fresno State freshman Gary Lee took third with a jump of 24’ 11.25” (7.60m).
Idaho finished one-two in the men’s discus throw, with senior Russ Winger beating out sophomore teammate Beau Whitney for top honors. Winger launched an NCAA Regional qualifying mark of 188’ 2” (57.36m) to finish first, while Whitney came in second with a season-best and NCAA Regional qualifying toss of 170’ 4” (51.92m). Last year’s champion, senior Dave Endler of Fresno State, placed third with a throw of 169’ 3” (51.59m).
Boise State’s Ryan Grinnell took the gold medal in the men’s high jump, matching a personal-best leap of 7’ 2.5” (2.20m), tying for the seventh-best in the NCAA. Utah State took both second and third place, with John Strang and Casey Parker both clearing 6’ 8.25” (2.04m). Grinnell, Strang and Parker also finished one-two-three at this year’s WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships.
In a sprint to the finish line in the 10,000-meter run, Utah State sophomore Heath Wing edged out Fresno State freshman Max Hernandez, crossing the finish line with times of 33:23.86 and 33:24.31, respectively. Boise State freshman Brian Pierre took third with a time of 33:32.29.
For the women, Utah State senior Stacie Lifferth-Dorius tallied her third-consecutive WAC title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, setting a new Bronco Stadium venue record with an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 10:46.39. In second place was Idaho junior Allix-Lee Painter, clocking a time of 11:00.55, while Fresno State senior Meredith Hawkins finished third with a time of 11:11.99.
In the women’s javelin throw, Nevada senior and 2006 WAC champion Inger Appanaitis took the gold medal with a season-best launch of 168’ 0” (51.21m), which currently ranks 12th-best in the NCAA. New Mexico State junior Randi Grimes finished second with a 12-foot season-best mark of 154’ 4” (47.04m), while Hawai’i senior Annett Wichmann took third with a toss of 149’ 7” (45.59m).
Idaho finished one-two in the women’s pole vault, with senior and NCAA-leading Melinda Owen claiming first place, clearing a height of 13’ 5.25” (4.10m) to tie the Bronco Stadium venue record set by Paula Serrano of Cal Poly in 1999. Owen also becomes the first female to earn three-consecutive WAC titles in the event. Junior Vandal K.C. Dahlgren finished second with a distance of 13’ 1.5” (4.00m), while Utah State freshman Sonia Grabowska was third with a height of 12’ 7.5” (3.85m). All three top finishers registered NCAA Regional qualifying marks.
In the women’s 10,000-meter run, Idaho sophomore Melissa McFadden crossed the finish line first, clocking a time of 38:41.91. Nevada senior Amanda Gramly finished second with a time of 38:47.18, edging out Hawai’i senior Chantelle Wilder, who placed third with a time of 38:49.71.
Louisiana Tech senior Nadia Alexander captured the gold medal in the women’s shot put, improving her NCAA Regional qualifying mark by over two-feet with a launch of 54’ 6.75” (16.63m). Alexander also won the shot put at the WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in February. Idaho junior Mykael Bothum came in second, increasing her Vandal school record by just over six inches, with an NCAA Regional qualifying toss of 52’ 0” (15.85m). Hawai’i senior Meghan Weaver finished third, also recording an NCAA Regional qualifying standard throw of 50’ 10” (15.49m).
Defending WAC champion and Boise State junior Eleni Kafourou won the women’s long jump with an NCAA Regional qualifying leap of 20’ 7.25” (6.28m). Freshman Alice Draser of Idaho finished second, also with an NCAA Regional qualifying mark of 19’ 9.75” (6.04m), improving her season-best by nearly one foot. Louisiana Tech freshman Quatisha Williams was third with a six-inch personal-best of 19’ 7” (5.97m). Kafourou, Draser and Williams also finished one-two-three at this year’s WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Tomorrow’s field events begin at 12:30 p.m. with the women’s hammer throw, with the running event finals starting at 5:00 p.m. with the women’s 4x100-meter relay.
Day Two Multi-Events Results
Day One Multi-Events Results
Championship Preview
General Information
Location: Bronco Stadium, Boise, Idaho
Date: May 14-17, 2008
Host: Boise State University
Tickets: All-Session Passes (includes all sessions on Friday and Saturday) are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens and youth and $10 for students. Single-Session tickets must be purchased for events on Wednesday and Thursday and are $8 for adults and $5 for senior citizens, students and youth.
Single-Session prices are as follows:
Wednesday, May 14 and Thursday, May 15 (Men's Decathlon and Women's Heptathlon): Adults $8; Senior Citizens, Students and Youth $5
Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17: Adults $12, Senior Citizens and Youth $8, Students $6
All-Session prices are as follows:
Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17: Adults $20, Senior Citizens and Youth $15, Students $10
Schedule: Click here for an online schedule
Parking: Fan parking is available at Bronco Stadium free of charge.
Boise, Idaho: For more information regarding all that the city of Boise has to offer, please click on the links below to visit the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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