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Championship Photos
BOISE, IDAHO - The Boise State men and Louisiana Tech women captured the 2008 WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday night at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. It is Boise State’s second WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship and Louisiana Tech’s fourth-straight title.
With the men’s title coming down to the final race of the night to determine the champion, the Boise State men held their lead entering the final day of competition to capture the crown with 142 points. Utah State finished second with 135 points, followed by Louisiana Tech in third with 134.5 points and Fresno State in fourth with 132 points. Idaho was fifth with 105.5 points.
After tallying 145 points on the final day of the championship, the Louisiana Tech women won its fourth-consecutive title. Fresno State finished second with 122 points, followed by Idaho in third with 121.5 points and Utah State in fourth with 100 points. Nevada was fifth with 91 points, followed by Hawai’i (74.5), New Mexico State (71.5) and Boise State (64.5).
For the men’s individual awards (voted upon by the coaches), Louisiana Tech sophomore Albert Fullwood garnered Top Track Performer of the Year, while Boise State junior Ryan Grinnell took home Top Field Performer of the Year. Idaho’s Paul Dittmer earned Freshman of the Year, while Boise State sophomore Ryan Grinnell picked up two gold medals and one silver (first in high jump and triple jump, second in long jump) and 28 points to earn the Men’s High Point Winner. Fresno State’s Bob Fraley took home Coach of the Year honors.
For the women’s individual awards (voted upon by the coaches), Louisiana Tech freshman Chasidee Lewis garnered Top Track Performer of the Year, while Boise State junior Eleni Kafourou took home Top Field Performer of the Year. Louisiana Tech’s Lewis and Fresno State’s Tiera Hilliard shared Co-Freshman of the Year honors, while Nevada senior Inger Appanaitis picked up 23 points for the Wolf Pack to earn this year’s Women’s High Point Winner. Fresno State coach Bob Fraley also brought home Coach of the Year honors on the women’s side.
The final day of the championship started with the men’s triple jump, with Boise State sweeping the top three spots in the event. Sophomore Ryan Grinnell earned his second gold medal and set a WAC Championship record with his season-best leap of 54’ 3.75” (16.55m), breaking a 33-year-old record set by UTEP’s Arnold Grimes in 1975. Grinnell’s jump beat his previous best mark by 19 inches and topped the WAC meet record by 10 inches. Grinnell was also the champion at this year’s WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Sophomore Zacharias Arnos finished second with a season-best and NCAA Regional qualifying mark of 52’ 0” (15.85m), while junior Savvas Diakonikolas came in third with a leap of 50’ 0” (15.24m), also a season-best and NCAA Regional qualifying mark.
Louisiana Tech’s team of Albert Fullwood, Mike Coleman, Josh Harvey and Terry Carter took home the men’s 4x100-meter relay crown, clocking a season-best and NCAA Regional qualifying time of 39.98, followed by Fresno State (40.79) and Boise State (41.17), earning second and third, respectively.
Boise State finished one-two in the men’s javelin throw, with freshman Pontus Thomee beating out senior teammate Nate Putnam for the gold medal. Thomee recorded an NCAA Regional qualifying mark of 214’ 8” (65.43m), while Putnam also turned in an NCAA Regional qualifying distance of 208’ 10” (63.65m). Louisiana Tech sophomore Larry Jones placed third with a launch of 205’ 4” (62.59m). This is the sixth-consecutive season that Boise State has claimed top honors in the men’s javelin throw.
In a sprint to the finish line in the men’s 1,500-meter run, Fresno State sophomore Frank Sanders edged out Utah State sophomore Jason Holt by seven-thousandths of a second to take home the gold medal. Sanders turned in a time of 3:53.191, barely acing out Holt’s time of 3:53.198. Boise State senior Cody Eaton finished third, clocking a season-best time of 3:56.06.
Idaho freshman Paul Dittmer won the men’s 110-meter hurdles with a season-best time of 13.98, improving his NCAA Regional qualifying time by .20 seconds. Fresno State sophomore Val-Pierre Dai’Re aced out Utah State senior Keith Williams for second, clocking times of 14.264 and 14.267, respectively.
Louisiana Tech sophomore Albert Fullwood earned a victory in the men’s 400-meter dash, crossing the finished line first in a season-best time of 46.30. Fullwood improved his previous best NCAA Regional qualifying time by .80 seconds. Utah State senior Dasheek Akwenye was second with a season-best and NCAA Regional qualifying time of 46.50, while Louisiana Tech freshman Demonte Willis placed third and also clocked an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 46.98.
In the men’s 100-meter dash, Louisiana Tech finished one-two-three, with junior Mike Coleman taking home top honors for the second-straight year, crossing the finish line with a season-best and NCAA Regional qualifying time of 10.34. Josh Harvey and Terry Carter also registered season-best and NCAA Regional qualifying times of 10.52 and 10.54, finishing second and third, respectively.
Louisiana Tech senior Corey Denstel captured the men’s 800-meter run crown, crossing the finish line with a time of 1:51.71. Denstel was also the champion at this year’s WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in February. Idaho senior Bastien Tardy finished second, clocking a time of 1:52.11, followed by junior teammate Cesar Barquero in third at 1:52.78.
In the men’s 400-meter hurdles, Utah State junior Keith Williams earned the gold medal, earning an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 51.87, nearly a full second improvement over his previous best time. Fresno State finished two-three, with both sophomore Val-Pierre Dai’Re and freshman Kendrick Young clocking NCAA Regional qualifying times of 52.39 and 52.41, respectively.
Idaho sophomore Lucas Pope won the men’s pole vault with a season-best and NCAA Regional qualifying mark of 16’ 8.75” (5.10m). Pope was also the champion at this year’s WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Idaho sophomore Mike Carpenter came in second with a height of 16’ 2.75” (4.95m), while Fresno State senior Roy Phelps finished third with a mark of 15’ 11” (4.85m).
Albert Fullwood of Louisiana Tech earned his second gold medal of the evening with a victory in the men’s 200-meter dash, crossing the finish line first with an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 20.67, barely edging out teammate Mike Coleman, also clocking an NCAA Regional and season-best time of 20.68. Fullwood was also the 200-meter champion at this year’s WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in February. Louisiana Tech’s Terry Carter took home third place with a season-best and NCAA Regional qualifying time of 21.19.
NCAA-leading and Idaho senior Russ Winger won the men’s shot put with a toss of 64’ 5.75’” (19.65m), re-claiming the shot put title honors he won in 2006. Winger is also a three-time champion in the event at the WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Fresno State senior Oscar Rodriguez finished second with a launch of 55’ 7” (16.94m), while Idaho freshman Joe Canavan was third with a throw of 55’ 3.5” (16.85m).
Utah State earned the top two honors in the men’s 5,000-meter run, with freshman Chio Lopez edging out sophomore Steve Strickland for the gold medal. Lopez clocked a time of 15:25.64, while Strickland finished in 15:26.25. Fresno State freshman Erick Garcia placed third with a time of 15:26.67.
Louisiana Tech’s team of Demonte Willis, Mike Coleman, Wade McGaha and Albert Fullwood took home the men’s 4x400-meter relay crown, setting a new Bronco Stadium venue record with a season-best time of 3:10.07. The previous record was set in 1999 by Texas (3:17.08). Fresno State finished second (3:11.95) and Utah State was third (3:16.68). Louisiana Tech, Fresno State and Utah State all earned NCAA Regional qualifying times in the event.
For the women, the final day of the championship started with the hammer throw. Fresno State junior Sharon Ayala took the gold medal with an NCAA Regional qualifying toss of 197’ 8” (60.26m). Ayala also finished first in the 20-pound weight throw at this year’s WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Nevada sophomore Constance McAlman finished second with a launch of 186’ 5” (56.83m), improving her previous best NCAA Regional qualifying distance by nearly three-feet. Utah State junior Krista Larson was third with a throw of 183’ 5” (55.90m).
Louisiana Tech’s team of Rakeisha Green, Chasidee Lewis, Kamelia Story and Nancy Shelton took home the women’s 4x100-meter relay crown, clocking a season-best time of 45.73, followed by Boise State (46.66) and Fresno State (46.75), earning second and third, respectively. Louisiana Tech has won the women’s 4x100-meter relay for six-straight years.
In the women’s 1,500-meter run, Fresno State sophomore Roxanne Sellick crossed the finish line first, clocking a time of 4:31.22, while Utah State sophomore Erin Stratton came in second with a time of 4:35.34. Last year’s champion, junior Breanna Sande of Boise State, finished third with a time of 4:39.11.
Louisiana Tech junior Antoinette Cobb earned top honors in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.65, improving her NCAA Regional qualifying time by .20 seconds. Fresno State senior Krystina Jackson finished second, also reducing her NCAA Regional qualifying standard by .40 seconds. Idaho junior Christie Gordon was third with a season-best time of 13.89.
Louisiana Tech finished one-two-three in the women’s 400-meter dash, with sophomore Kamelia Stroy taking home the gold medal with an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 54.18, finishing nearly a second ahead of her teammates. Sophomore El Charrita Reynolds was second with a season-best time of 55.16, while freshman Monique Wright placed third with a personal-best time of 55.34. This is the fourth-straight season that Louisiana Tech has won the women’s 400-meter dash.
Louisiana Tech swept the top three spots in the women’s 100-meter dash, with freshman Chasidee Lewis edging out her teammates in a close finish, clocking a winning time of 11.83. Sophomore Rakeisha Green finished second with a time of 11.91, followed closely by freshman Nancy Shelton in third at 12.01.
In the women’s 800-meter run, Boise State junior Kayleen McDowell crossed the finish line first, winning the event with a time of 2:10.60. McDowell was the runner-up at this year’s WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Fresno State senior Marina Santana finished second in a time of 2:11.68, while Utah State sophomore Elaine Connolly was third with a season-best time of 2:14.03.
Utah State junior Katie Thatcher earned the gold medal in the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.47, improving her NCAA Regional qualifying time by .60 seconds. Nevada junior Polly Smith finished second (1:01.09), beating her previous best time by 1.40 seconds, while Fresno State senior Erica McCoy was third (1:01.50).
Fresno State freshman Tiera Hilliard took home top honors in the women’s 200-meter dash, registering a personal-best time of 24.18. Louisiana Tech freshman Nancy Shelton finished second in a personal-best time of 24.30, followed by New Mexico State sophomore Leah Benton in third with a time of 24.65.
Hawai’i finished one-two in the women’s high jump, with sophomore Amber Kaufman earning the gold medal with a season-best and NCAA Regional qualifying mark of 6’ 0.5” (1.84m), while junior Emily Sheppard was second, also with a season-best and NCAA Regional qualifying height of 5’ 11.25” (1.81m). Nevada senior Amanda Boice finished thired with an NCAA Regional qualifying mark of 5’ 8.75” (1.75m).
Boise State junior Eleni Kafourou earned her second gold medal of the championship, finishing first in the women’s triple jump with a mark of 42’ 10” (13.36m), improving her NCAA Regional qualifying mark by 16 inches. Kafourou tallied her third-straight title in the event and was also the champion at this year’s WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Louisiana Tech finished two-three, with sophomore Latoya Collins in second with a season-best leap of 40’ 3.5” (12.28m) and freshman Quatisha Williams in third with a personal-best jump of 40’ 2.75” (12.26m).
In the women’s discus throw, Louisiana Tech sophomore Phelecia Reynolds took home top honors with an NCAA Regional qualifying toss of 160’ 11” (49.04m), while New Mexico State sophomore Jordan Veney finished second, also with an NCAA Regional qualifying launch of 159’ 7” (48.64m). Fresno State freshman Kayla Xavier placed third with a personal-best throw 153’ 7” (46.82m), beating her previous best mark by five-feet.
New Mexico State finished one-two in the women’s 5,000-meter run, with sophomore Ingrid Flores finishing first with a time of 17:52.34. Freshman Brandi Guiterrez was second with a personal-best time of 17:56.57, beating her previous best time by over 50 seconds. Fresno State’s Meredith Hawkins placed third with a time of 18:04.58.
In the final event of the evening, Louisiana Tech’s team of El Charrita Reynolds, Kamelia Story, Monique Wright and Shante Bennior won the women’s 4x400-meter relay, clocking an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 3:41.59, followed by Fresno State (3:43.89) and Utah State (3:46.34), earning second and third, respectively.
Day Three Championship Results
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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