On Tap in the WAC - Only three conference teams are in action this week as Idaho and Hawai`i both host meets and Nevada makes its way out to California for the Sacramento State Open.
MEN’S ATHLETES OF THE WEEK (April 27- May 3)
DENVER ? Utah State’s Steve Strickland and Boise State’s Simon Wardhaugh have been named Western Athletic Conference Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for April 27 ? May 3.
Strickland, a junior from Orem, Utah (Mountain View HS), improved on his own school record time this past weekend. Strickland ran the fourth-fastest time in the NCAA this season in the 3,000m steeplechase Friday night at the Ohio State Jesse Owens Track Classic, clocking an 8:42.71. The 8:42.71 by Strickland is the fourth-fastest in the NCAA, behind Corey Thorne of Louisville with an 8:39.19. It also is an NCAA regional time, as well as improving on his school record time of 8:49.53, which he previously set on April 5 at the Oregon Invitational. Strickland’s time also improves on his top mark in the WAC this season. This is the second time this season he has earned the WAC Track Athlete of the Week award.
Wardhaugh, a senior from Bracken Ridge, Australia (University of Queensland), won the hammer throw at the Bronco Twilight on Friday with a toss of 223-11 (68.24m) in Boise. The mark, which is his top throw so far this season, stands as the top throw in the WAC and the fourth-best in the nation. Wardhaugh’s throw is better than the next-best toss in the conference by more than 12 feet. The toss stands as a regional qualifying mark and is the fourth-consecutive year he has qualified for the NCAA West Regional. This marks the first time this outdoor season that the senior has garnered the WAC weekly honor.
Other track nominees included: Fresno State’s Val-Pierre Dai’Re, Idaho’s Sam Michener and Louisiana Tech’s Albert Fullwood.
Other field nominees included: Fresno State’s Tim Greene, Idaho’s Jeremy Klas, Louisiana Tech’s Jonathan Keys and Utah State’s Dusty Ott.
WOMEN’S ATHLETES OF THE WEEK (April 27- May 3)
DENVER ? New Mexico State’s Devin Brooks and Hawai`i’s Amber Kaufman have been named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for April 27 ? May 3.
Brooks, a sophomore from Spokane, Wash. (Holy Names Academy), broke the NM State school record in the 100m hurdles, Saturday afternoon at the Don Kirby Invitational, in Albuquerque, N.M. Brooks recorded a time of 14.04 to take the record which breaks her personal-best by four-hundredths of a second. The time stands as the third-best in the WAC. This marks the first time this season she has been honored with the WAC weekly award.
Kaufman, a sophomore from San Jose, Calif. (Branham HS), broke her own school record with a jump of 6-0.75 (1.85m) at the Steve Scott Invitational last weekend. She finished behind Olympian Sharon Day, who also cleared the same height but made fewer misses than Kaufman. The jump stands as the No. 1 jump in the WAC and is tied for the third-best mark in the country this season. The previous school record was 6-0.5 (1.84m) set by Kaufman at last year’s WAC Conference Outdoor Championship. This is the second time this season she has collected the WAC Field Athlete of the Week honor.
Other track nominees: Boise State’s Nerisha Phillip, Fresno State’s Shannelle Stephens, Idaho’s AshLee Rey, Louisiana Tech’s Shante Benion, Nevada’s Gina Deckard, and Utah State’s Ashlee Cannon.
Other field nominees: Boise State’s Mele Vaisima, Fresno State’s Jacqueline Vazquez, Idaho’s Alyssa Covington, Louisiana Tech’s Tierah Hall, Nevada’s Marissa Hammond, New Mexico State’s Jordan Veney and Utah State’s Krista Larson.
TEAM NOTES
HIGH FLYIN' HAWAIIAN- Sophomore Amber Kaufman broke her own school record in the high jump with a leap of 6-0.75 at the Steve Scott Invitational and earned WAC Athlete of the Week honors, the second time this season she was honored by the conference with the weekly award.
THE HOST WITH THE MOST- USU men now have nine NCAA regional qualifying marks in freshman Bryce Hall (shot put), sophomore Clint Silcock (high jump), junior Dusty Ott (javelin) junior Casey Parker (high jump), junior Dylan Nielson (110m hurdles), junior Steve Strickland (3,000sc) and seniors Nick Karren (400m hurdles) John Strang (decathlon) and Keith Williams (400m hurdles), which is tied for the top number of qualifiers in the WAC.
TWO MANY MEN ON THE FIELD - Two more Vandal men regionally qualified on Friday to bring Idaho’s team total to 10. Senior Jake Boling qualified for the fourth year in a row in the hammer throw, while freshman Jeremy Klas earned his first career trip in the pole vault.
PACKIN' IT IN - All five athletes that competed at the Payton Jordan Stanford Invite for Nevada recorded top-10 finishes. Constance McAlman recorded two second-place finishes in the discus and shot put. McAlman took second in the hammer throw with a throw of 55.95m (183-07). McAlman posted a regional qualifying mark in the hammer at the UNLV Classic to open the outdoor season.
AGGIES END ON HIGH NOTE - In the last non-conference meet of the season, New Mexico State junior thrower Jordan Veney brought home gold, sophomore huddler Devin Brooks broke a school record en route to WAC Track Athlete of the Week honors. Overall, the New Mexico State track and field team recorded 42 top-10 finishes at the Don Kirby Invitational, Saturday, in Albuquerque, N.M.
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