United Athletic Conference

LOGAN, UTAH ? Field event finals dominated the third day of the 2009 Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship presented by Springhill Suites in Logan, Utah on Friday as the Nevada women and the Utah State men are on top with one day of competition remaining.

Boise State collected its fifth-straight hammer throw title after Simon Wardhaugh took the crown for the second year in a row, Wardhaugh's championship throw of 224-00 (68.29m) bested the 13-man field. Idaho earned 12 team points as James Rogan (61.68m), Matt Wauters (61.38m) and Jacob Boling (58.65m) finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Fresno State's Tim Greene earned a second-place finish with a throw of 203-04 (62.11m).

The women kicked off the running events in the 3,000m steeplechase as Nevada's Christa Avena took top honors after she turned in a time of 10:53.57. The Wolf Pack took home 16 total points in the event as three of Nevada's athletes finished in scoring positions. Tiffany Tandy finished in fourth place while Mandy Russ had an eighth-place finish. It marked the first time in four years that someone from Utah State did not win the event. Utah State's Ruth Hilton ran to a second-place finish (11:05.07), while Breanna Sande of Boise State finished in third place with a time of 11:15.03.

For the second year in a row, Utah State's Steve Strickland was the fastest finisher in the 3,000m steeplechase after finishing with a time of 9:12.94. This marks the fourth-straight year that a Utah State athlete has won the event. Strickland becomes the sixth WAC athlete to win the event in back-to-back years. Rounding out the top three was Louisiana Tech's Kinsey Dinnel with a time of 9:29.97 and Steve Atkinson of Utah State who garnered a third-place finish with a time of 9:30.20.

Sasa Kampic of Boise State edged out Hawai`i's Annett Wichmann in the women's javelin throw of 162-09 (49.61m) bested Wichmann's by four feet. The Rainbow Wahine placed two in the top three as Kai Schmidt earned a third-place finish with a throw of 144-10 (44.16m). Boise State has now won the event a total of five times, including four in a row from 2002-05. Overall, the Broncos garnered 13 team points toward the team total.

In the men's long jump, a Boise State athlete repeated as champion when Ryan Grinnell, also the 2009 indoor champion, jumped to a championship best 25-09.25 (7.85m). Elvie Williams of Idaho made his last jump his best as her garnered a second-place finish with a jump of 24-06.25 (7.47m). DeAnte Brown of Fresno State finished in third, while Utah State's Blake Hadfield finished with a mark of 23-10.00 (7.26m), good for fourth place.

Grinnell didn't stop at the long jump, the senior added to his collection after winning the high jump in back-to-back years. Grinnell's winning jump was set at 6-10.75 (2.10m). 2009 indoor champion, Utah State's Clint Silcock, finished in third place based on attempts with a jump of 6-08.75 (2.05m). Beating out Silcock was his teammate Casey Parker. The Aggies' John Strang placed fourth with a mark of 6-06.75 (2.00m), Utah State garnered 18 team points in the event.

The women's pole vault featured a new champion a Hawai`i's Jessica Custance earned first-place honors when she posted a mark of 12-07.50 (3.85m). Custance upset indoor champion, Sonia Grabowska of Utah State, after Grabowska no-heighted in the event. Fresno State's Cara Montes and Idaho's Lindsay Beard tied for second place to earn seven points toward their respective team totals. With the win, the Rainbow Wahine took a 44.50 lead over second-place Nevada (27.50).

Louisiana Tech took home top discus honors after Larry Jones had a throw of 168-01 (51.24m). Jones' teammate Shaun Haughton finished in fourth place after he threw a 162-06 (49.54m). The Bulldogs earned 14 team points from the event. Utah State's Bryce Hall finished in second place with a mark of 167-07 (51.08m). Idaho finished in the third and fifth positions as Beau Whitney and Evan Ruud collected points for the Vandals, respectively.

In the women's shot put, Nadia Alexander of Louisiana Tech finished in first place for the second-consecutive year and took home LA Tech's fifth women's shot put title in the last six years. Alexander out-threw the competition by more than six feet after her throw of 54-00.50 (16.47m) beat out the competition. Tiera Hall, also of Louisiana Tech, finished in the two spot after her throw of 47-11.25 (14.61m). Rounding out the top three was Spela Hus of Utah State finished with a mark of 47-07.75 (14.52m).

Louisiana Tech women got back into contention with a win in the long jump as Quatisha Williams won the event with a jump of 18-11.75 (5.78m). This marks thje first time since 2002 that a Louisiana Tech women's athlete has won the event. Nevada finished with two scoring places with La Tijera Avery garnering a second-place finish and Alexa Anderson concluding in fifth place.

Finishing off the day for the women was the 10,000m run, Nevada's Amanda Moreno asserted her dominance by becoming the Wolf Pack's first-ever winner in the event at a WAC Championship. Moreno finished with a time of 38:23.40, while her teammate Alma Janet Martinez garnered a third-place finish with a time of 38:46.55. New Mexico State's Amy Arenas finished with a time of 38:42.44, good for second place in the field.

Utah State's Brian McKenna stretched the Aggies lead with a win in the 10,000m run as he ran a 31:39.48. Utah State scored three places in the event as Nick Bolinder and Daniel Howle placed fourth and six, respectively.

Competition continues on Saturday, the fourth and final day, with the women's hammer throw at 12:30 p.m. MT. The meet will conclude with the 4x400m relay which will kick off at 7:15 p.m. MT.

Women - Team Rankings

 Men - Team Rankings

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Click here for results from Day One
Click here for results from Day Two