ON TAP IN THE WAC - The 2011 indoor track and field season continues Friday with road trips for six teams and a home meet for another. Boise state will host the Jacksons Open in Nampa, Idaho, on Jan. 28-29. Fresno State, New Mexico State and Nevada all travel to Albuquerque, N.M., for the New Mexico Invitational on Jan. 28-29. Hawai'i and Idaho make the trip to Seattle, Wash., for the UW Invitational on Jan. 28-29. Utah State joins WAC foe Boise State at the Jacksons Open.
Verizon WAC Women Athletes of the Week (Jan. 17-23)
Louisiana Tech's Chelsea Hayes and Utah State's Sonia Grabowska were named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Women's Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for the week of Jan. 17-23.
Hayes, a senior from New Orleans, La. (Butler County CC), had a dominating performance at the Arkansas State Invitational in Jonesboro, Ark., on Jan. 22. Hayes claimed titles in the 55-meter dash, 200-meter dash and the long jump all in the same day. Hayes set a school record in the prelims of the 55m dash, running 6.94 before topping that mark in the finals with a time of 6.92. Her converted time from the 55m to the 60m is 7.44, which ranks her first in the WAC. She claimed the 200m title with a WAC-best time of 24.80. Not only did she get the job done in the sprints, she also claimed a title in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 7 inches (5.97m), which was just shy of her current top measurement in the WAC (19' 8.75").
Grabowska, a junior from Warsaw, Poland (VIII Lo Wtadystaw IV), set the new benchmark for the WAC in the Pole Vault at the Cougar Invitational on Jan. 22 in Pullman, Wash. She cleared 13 feet, 3.75 inches (4.06m) in her attempt, giving her the pole vault title and claim to the best vault in the WAC. Grabowska's vault is more than eight inches better than the second-best WAC vault this season.
Other track nominees included: Destiny Gammage, Boise State; Hannah Kiser, Idaho; Chelsea Hayes, Louisiana Tech; Angelica Earls, Nevada
Other field nominees included: Mele Vaisima, Boise State; Gabby Midles, Idaho; Micarra Vassell, Louisiana Tech; La Tijera Avery, Nevada; Zoe Meade, New Mexico State; Chari Hawkins, Utah State
Verizon WAC Men Athletes of the Week (Jan. 17-23)
Boise State's Jeff Daw and Idaho's Jeremy Klas were named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Men's Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for the week of Jan. 17-23.
Daw, a sophomore from Salt Lake City, Utah (Skyline HS), claimed two victories at the Bronco Invitational on Jan. 22 in Nampa, Idaho. Daw claimed titles in the 400-meter dash and as a member of the 4X400-meter relay team. He helped his 4X400m relay team to their third straight win of the season, remaining undefeated, as they crossed the finish line with a time of 3:15.77, good enough for the second-fastest time in the WAC. Daw was able to turn in a career-best time of 48.01 seconds in the 400m, netting him the title and the best time in the WAC this season.
Klas, a junior from Moscow, Idaho (Moscow HS), opened his season with a great showing over the weekend at the Cougar Indoor in Pullman, Wash. Klas claimed the pole vault title with a vault of 17 feet, 5.25 inches (5.25m), winning the event by more than 15 inches. His vault was just two centimeters short of the meet record. His mark is the best in the WAC this season and also ranks him eighth in the NCAA in the event. Klas' vault is more than a foot better than the second-best WAC vault this season.
Other track nominees included: Markus Geiger, Idaho; Trey Hadnot, Louisiana Tech; Armahd Lewis, Utah State
Other field nominees included: Eetu Viitala, Boise State; Jonathan Keys, Louisiana Tech; Clint Silcock, Utah State
Boise State Broncos
The Broncos had another nice showing on Jan. 22 at the Bronco Invitational in Nampa, Idaho ... Boise State earned seven event wins, 33 career-best marks and 15 season-best marks in the meet which included eight collegiate teams and two track clubs ... junior Mele Vaisima captured the women's weight throw title with a season-best toss of 61-4.25 (18.70m) ... On the men's side, junior Eetu Viitala won the long jump with a lifetime-best mark of 25' 4" (7.72m) for his third consecutive win in the event ... junior Trevor Kraychir had a throw of 64-7 (19.68m) to win the weight throw event ... Boise State next will host the Jacksons Invitational on Jan. 28-29 in Nampa, Idaho.
Fresno State Bulldogs
The Bulldogs look to improve off a last place finish in the WAC championships last season ... Fresno State's 2011 Indoor season will begin Jan. 28-29 at the New Mexico Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.
Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine
The Rainbow Wahine had an impressive showing in the first of six meets in the Sunset Series that the University of Hawai'i women's track and field team will host this season ... freshman Ashley Satterwhite posted two good times with first-place finishes in the 150-meters and 60-meters, clocking in at 18.95 seconds and 8.01 seconds, respectively ... senior Anika Borden's finished second in the hammer throw with a toss of 168-8 (51.43m), which now places her fourth all-time in school history ... next for the Rainbow Wahine is the UW Invitational on Jan. 28-29 in Seattle, Wash.
Idaho Vandals
The Vandals had some nice individual efforts at the Cougar Indoor on Jan. 22 in Pullman, Wash. ... junior pole vaulter Jeremy Klas was the most impressive for Idaho as he cleared the nation's eighth-best height of 17-2.75 (5.25m) in the men's pole vault competition ... senior Eugenio Mannucci claimed his second shot put crown in as many weeks with a throw of 56-1 (17.09m) ... on the women's side, junior Gabby Midles unleashed the second-best toss of her career in the women's weight throw with a distance of 57-7 (17.55m) ... The Vandals next head to the UW Invitational in Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 28-29.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
The La. Tech men and women leave Jonesboro, Ark., with a dominating performance in the Arkansas State Invitational on Jan. 22 ... senior Chelsea Hayes won the 200m dash (24.80) and long jump (19-7 (5.97m) and set the school record as she won the 55m dash (6.92) ... Quatisha Williams won the triple jump with a mark of 38-7.5 (11.77m) ... on the men's side, Billy Ray Walker won the 55m hurdles with a time of 7.47 ... the men's 4x400m relay team of Josh Goree, Justin Terry, Edward Hadnot and Wade MaGaha also won, running 3:17.05 ... La. Tech doesn't return to action until Feb. 11-12 for the Tyson Invitational hosted by the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark.
Nevada Wolf Pack
The Wolf Pack athletes produced a number of personal bests at the Jacksons Open on Jan. 3-4 in Nampa, Idaho ... in only her second time competing in the event, April Pate placed third overall in the pentathlon with a total score of 3,387 points while setting person bests in the high jump (1.60-meters) and shot put (10.32m) ... Angelica Earl ran the third-fastest time in school history in the 60 meters (7.71) and also in the 200-meters (24.64) ... Nevada next will travel to the Lobo Challenge on Jan. 28-29 in Albuquerque, N.M.
New Mexico State Aggies
New Mexico State's sophomore Courtney Schultz had a great individual effort in the 3,000 meters for the Aggies at the University of New Mexico Cherry and Silver Invite on Jan. 22 ... Schultz placed second and broke her own school record in the 3,000m run by finishing the race in 9:53.96 ... junior Melanie Clay also had a solid performance as she ran the 800m in 2:18.51, placing her third ... the Aggies continue the indoor track season Jan. 28-29 in Albuquerque, N.M., at the UNM Invite.
Utah State Aggies
Utah State experienced continued success as both the men's and women's teams had nice showings at the Cougar Invitational in Pullman, Wash., on Jan. 21-22 ... the Aggies recorded eight event victories over the two days ... seniors Armahd Lewis and Clint Silcock, along with junior Chio Lopez led the Aggie men capturing victories in their respective events ... Lewis won the 60m (6.81), Silcock claimed the high jump title (6-10.75 (2.10m)) and Lopez won the 3,000m run (8:25.52) in his first action of the season ... on the women's side, juniors Katelyn Heiner and Spela Hus won the 400m (56.50) and shot put (44-11.50 (13.70m)), respectively ... next for Utah State is the Jacksons Invitational on Jan. 28-29 in Nampa, Idaho.
WAC CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO BOISE - The 2011 edition of the WAC Indoor Track and Field Championship returns to Idaho Sports Center and Jacksons Track in Nampa, Idaho, for the eighth-straight year. The meet will be held Feb. 24-26. Championship details, as well as WAC Indoor Track and Field news, records and award information is available at www.wacsports.com.
2011 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP - The 2011 Men's and Women's Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships will be held at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium in College Station, Texas. Texas A&M University is hosting the event. For ticket information, call 1 (888) 992-4443, or visit www.aggieathletics.com.