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INDOOR TRACK & FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN
Grand Canyon's Josh Ralston and UT Rio Grande Valley's Javier Carretero have been named Western Athletic Conference Track and Field Athletes of the week, respectively, for Feb. 8-14.
Ralston, a senior from Detriot, Mich. (Hamilton) won the 400 meters with a time of 47.74 which is a season-best and personal-best indoors for the senior from Detroit, Mich. Ralston's time also ranks him No. 1 in the WAC. Ralston also ran on the second leg of the 4x400 meter relay which won the event with a season-best time of 3:13.10, also the No. 1 ranked time in the WAC.
Carretero, a senior from Montijo, Badajoz, Spain (Club Atletismo Montijo) set a new personal best in the weight throw at the Howie Ryan Invitational after hitting a mark of 17.51 meters, which ranks the third farthest in program history and currently is the best in the WAC. He used his career best to finish in second place out of 35 throwers.
Other track nominees: Missouri-Kansas City's Chadayne Walker continues to improve with every meet, posting a 6.91 second 60-meter dash time in the prelims, placing second, before running a slightly-slower finals time of 6.92 seconds for fourth in the event. His preliminary round time has him in third-place in the current WAC performance lists. Seattle U's Gus Arroyo ran he second-fastest time in indoor school history in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 14:44.82. His time puts him at third in the WAC. UT Rio Grande Valley's Yariel Matute posted a second place finish in the 400-meter dash after crossing the finish line in a time of 49.71 seconds as he finished just behind the first place finisher, who finished with a time of 49.59 seconds. He teamed with Trevion Williams, File Patiño and Anthony Magallon to post a fourth place finish in the 4x400-meter relay after they finished with a time of 3:24.61. Utah Valley's Nick Taylor ran the 200m dash for the first time in two years and set the school record in the event at 21.11 seconds for third place overall. He also ran the 60m dash in 6.75 seconds, good enough for fourth place overall.
Other field nominees: Chicago State's Kory Jackson captured his third consecutive long jump title at the Chicagoland Championships after recording a jump of 23-00.50 (7.02 meters) in his final tune-up for next week's WAC Championships. The mark is Jackson's second best of the indoor season and he is now second in the WAC standings. Grand Canyon's Scott Marshall won the men's pole vault at the NAU Invitational with a mark of 5.07 meters, 4 centimeters shy of his conference leading mark of 5.11 meters, set at the Mountain T's Invitational two weeks ago. Missouri-Kansas City's Jeremy Harr put up a career-best mark in the triple jump on Friday, taking third-place with a jump of 14.51 meters. The leap is now the best mark in the WAC this season. Seattle U's Shaddye Melu tied his personal record in the high jump - also the current indoor school record set by himself almost exactly one year ago - with a height of 2.11 meters (6'-11â€). This height gave him a second-place finish based on jumps.
WOMEN
Missouri-Kansas City's Veronica Rollins and UT Rio Grande Valley's Kerissa Wiley have been named Western Athletic Conference Track & Field Athletes of the week, respectively, for Feb 8-14.
Rollins, a senior from Kansas City, Mo. (Lee's Summit North HS) is moving up the UMKC records to third-place all time in the event, Rollins one-upped herself by resetting her personal-best with a time of 2:14.45 seconds, scratching more than a second off her previous best. The time moved her into second-place in the ‘Roos record books, and first in the WAC this season.
Wiley, a junior from Markham, TX (Tidehaven High School) set a new program record in the high jump at the Howie Ryan Invitational, after clearing a height of 1.70 meters, which is also currently the best in the WAC. She broke a record that was shared by Melinda Sarmiento (2010) and Valerie Partch (2001). Wiley finished in third place after they tiebreakers as she finished tied with Texas State's Chelsie Decoud and five-time Olympian Amy Acuff.
Other track nominees: Chicago State's Zhaté Jackson won her second consecutive title in the 400-meter dash after finishing first in the event at the Chicagoland Championships with a time of 58.30, which places her sixth in the WAC. She also finished second in the 200-meter dash after crossing the finish line at 25.62 and that time now ranks her second in the WAC in the event. Grand Canyon's Briana Myers won the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.64, which tied her collegiate best set last year. After conversion, Myers' time is No. 1 in the WAC for the 60m hurdles. In addition to the hurdles, Myers ran the 60 meters where she placed third with a time of 7.78, on hundredth of a second of her personal best from a year ago. Her time is the No. 8 mark in the WAC this season. NM State's Katara Nelson won the 200m Dash with a time of 24.85, which was her best performance in the event this season. She currently leads the WAC in this event. She also was part of the team that finished third in the 4x400 Relay with a time of 3:58.22. The Aggies are currently third in the conference in this event. Seattle U's Elena Smith set a personal record in the 3,000m run with a time of 10:10.92, putting her in fifth place in the WAC. UT Rio Grande Valley's Jennifer Zapata posted a career-best time of 10:28.94 in the 3,000-meter run at the Howie Ryan Invitational where she finished in third place. She also teamed with Teresa Sova, Roxanna Vidaurri and Felicia Wills to finish in second place in the distance medley relay with a time of 12:30.35, which ranks third fastest in program history.
Other field nominees: Grand Canyon's Tarasue Barnett's mark of 14.88 meters broke her previous school record that she set two weeks ago at the Mountain T's Invitational by 1 cm. Barnett's record-breaking put came on her final attempt of the competition and launched her from second place to the top spot. Barnett's throw is the best mark in the WAC. Missouri-Kansas City's Traci Mills set a season-best in the long jump, placing fourth with a leap of 5.59 meters. Seattle U's Mariah Gibbs jumped a distance of 11.28 meters in the triple jump, which should put her at 10th in the WAC.
REGIONAL RANKINGS
The USTFCAA regional rankings have been posted and two WAC teams rank in the top 15. The Utah Valley men are 11th in the Mountain Region and the Grand Canyon men are 11th in the West Region.
GRAND CANYON'S PIERRE-LOUIS RICOU RANKED NATIONALLY
The junior from Mornac, France is getting national attention. Ricou is ranked 31st in the country in the heptathlon after dominating at the Mountain T's Invitational, winning six of the seven events in the competition.
UTAH VALLEY'S NICK TAYLOR MAKING STRIDES
The senior set a new school record in the 200m dash with a time of 21.14 seconds as the Utah Valley University track and field team competed in the Bronco Invitational in the Ford Idaho Center on Saturday. Taylor surpassed the four-year standing record of 21.18 seconds, earning a victory in the 200m. Earlier in the day, Taylor also snagged the first-place victory in the 60m dash with a time of 6.78 seconds to pace the Wolverines. Taylor is tied for 23rd in the nation in the 200m, according to tfrrs.org.
WAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2016 WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships are held in Nampa, Idaho from Feb. 25-27. The Utah Valley men and Grand Canyon women will be looking to repeat titles from last year.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2016 Indoor Track and Field National Championships will be hosted by Samford and take place in Birmingham, Ala. from March 11-12.
March 11-12, 2016
Host: Samford
Location: Birmingham, Ala.
Facility: Birmingham Crossplex