Full Release in PDF Format
WAC TRACK & FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK ANNOUNCED
MEN
Utah Valley's Nicholas Taylor and CSU Bakersfield's Joselito Flores have been named Western Athletic Conference Track and Field Athletes of the week, respectively, for April 18-24.
Taylor, a senior from Pearland, Texas (Clear Brook HS) was a part of a 4x100 m relay team that broke the school record and posted a projected NCAA qualifying time of 40.40 seconds. The team consisted of Jordan Peterson, Nicholas Taylor, Tyler Liddiard and Stetson Sartor. Taylor continued to have a day and ran a personal best 10.30 seconds in the 100m dash, making him the fastest man in the WAC for the second consecutive year, posting the fastest time in the conference. Taylor leads the conference in the 200m dash as well, and is on track to qualify for the NCAA Western Regional Rounds in three events. Taylor's new time is just .03 seconds off of Allah Laryea-Akrong's UVU school record of 10.27 seconds. Taylor continued on and posted a 21.10-second time in the 200m dash for second place overall.
Flores, a sophomore from Fairfield, CA (St. Patrick-St. Vincent HS) reset his personal best in the high jump in Fresno. The sophomore's 6-09.50 mark earned Flores the win on Saturday while moving him up to eighth all-time for the ‘Runners in the event. The native of Fairfield, Calif. also recorded the third-best mark this season in the Western Athletic Conference.
Other track nominees: CSU Bakersfield's Michael Lovato lowered his personal best in the 800 by almost a whole second with a time of 1:55.02. Lovato joined his teammates in climbing the all-time ranks while placing third in Fresno. The senior moved from just outside the Top 20 to 18th with the time in Fresno. Lovato's time was also the seventh-best in the WAC this season. Missouri-Kansas City's Darrien Case had an impressive showing at the Kansas Relays, where he ran to a seventh-place finish in the 800 meters with a time of 1:54.93. The highlight of the weekend for Case, however, came in the men's distance medley relay where he helped lead the team to a first-place finish with a time of 10:06.12.
Other field nominees: Chicago State's Kameron Jackson recorded a personal-best leap of 46'5.25†(14.15 meters) en route to capturing a second-place finish in the triple jump at the Concordia University Cougar Invitational. Missouri-Kansas City's Harpreet Dosanjh posted a season-best mark in the javelin at the Kansas Relays, placing fifth overall, and first among DI athletes with a throw of 57.75 meters. Utah Valley's Daven Russell broke the school record he set last season with a career best throw in the shot put with a mark of 16.11m at the annual Clarence F. Robison Invitational hosted by Brigham Young University. Russell finished in seventh place overall at the meet and bested his previous record by 10 centimeters.
WOMEN
NM State's Katara Nelson and CSU Bakersfield's Madison Bundy have been named Western Athletic Conference Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for April 18-24.
Nelson, a junior from Arlington, Texas (South Grand Prairie HS) put up new season best times in both the 100m and 200m at the Ross Black Open. In the 100m, she finished with a time of 11.82. In the 200m, she finished with a time of 24.14. She currently leads the WAC in both events with these times.
Bundy, a senior from Anacortes, WA (Oregon State) improved her personal best in the javelin by over five feet with a mark of 140-11. The throw helped Bundy place fourth on Saturday and move into fourth all-time for the Roadrunners in just her first season with the track and field team after completing her softball career. The native of Anacortes, Wash. is now just seven feet short of the school record and recorded the third-best throw in the WAC this year.
Other track nominees: CSU Bakersfield's Angel Valdez was the lone ‘Runner in the 3000 and improved her personal best mark by 12 seconds to 10:34.90. The time was good enough to move the Bakersfield native in 10th all-time for CSUB as Valdez posted the fastest mark for CSUB in the last decade (Zuzana Iler, 10:25.80 2006). Chicago State's Zhate' Jackson had a big day for CSU at the Cougar Invitational as she set a new school record and helped tie another record while earning two event titles. She won the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.94 and later broke her school record in the 400-meter dash en route to a second-place finish at a time of 56.49. Jackson ran a leg on the 4x100-meter relay that equaled its school record of 48.92 and finished first in the race. Missouri-Kansas City's Hanna Miller had an impressive showing at the Kansas Relays, where she helped the women's 4x400-meter and distance medley relay teams post positive results, as well as nearly notching a new personal record in the 800-meter run. The highlight for Miller came on Thursday where she ran to a fourth-place finish in the 800 meters, clocking in at 2:17.83, less than a second off her personal-record. Miller also helped the DMR team to a second-place finish with a time of 12:07.01, and guided the women's 4x4 team to a seventh-place finish overall in finals after being part of the team in prelims that placed sixth with an impressive 3:52.71 time. Utah Valley's Samantha Sweet continues to get faster as the WAC leader in the 400m after today's fast time of 55.91 seconds.
Other field nominees: Missouri-Kansas City's Traci Mills finished first among Division I athletes at the Kansas Relays in the long jump, where she posted a jump of 5.61 meters, a season best in the event. Mills also competed in the triple jump where she landed in fifth-place among DI athletes with a leap of 11.58 meters. NM State's Akuadasou Ezenyilimba won the Hammer and finished third in the Discus at the Ross Black Open. In the Hammer, she won with a mark of 50.20m (164 ft. 8 in.). In the Discus, she finished with a mark of 44.42m (145 ft. 9 in.). She currently leads the WAC in both events. Utah Valley's Mykah Heaton-Ouderkirk had a personal record leap in the long jump with a mark of 5.72m for second place at the invitational.
STEEPLECHASE IN THE WAC
Two athletes from the WAC are ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA. Utah Valley's Trac Norris ran the 3,000 Steeplechase in 8:40.88 at the Mt. SAC Relays. That time ranks him 7th in nation. Not only that, UMKC's Bryce Miller is not too far behind him. Miller ran the 3,000 Steeplechase in a time of 8:43.81 at the Stanford Invitational which ranks him 10th in the NCAA.
GRAND CANYON ON THE NATIONAL SCENE
Three athletes from Grand Canyon are currently ranked in the top 35 in NCAA D1. One week after shattering the GCU record in the discus with a throw of 56.92 meters at the Willie Williams Classic, Tarasue Barnett improved upon her impressive mark once again. The junior from Kingston, Jamaica placed second overall with a throw of 58.99m. Her throw currently is the best in the WAC and the No. 7 mark in the entire country. Aaron Thurber won the men's 100 meters with a time of 10.34, the No. 35 time in all of Division I. Thurber is the WAC's fastest runner this season in the 100 and 200. Pierre-Louis Ricou is the latest to join his teammates in the NCAA rankings. Ricou scored 7,340 points in the decathlon at the Mt. SAC Relays. That was good enough to put him 15th in the nation.
SHADDYE MELU OF SEATTLE U
Seattle U's Shaddye Melu is ranked No. 34 in NCAA D1 in the Men's High Jump. The senior broke Seattle U's outdoor school record in the high jump (previously set by himself) and grabbed first-place with a jump of 2.15 meters (7'-0.5â€).
UTAH VALLEY REGIONAL POLL
The Wolverine Men are currently 14th in the USTFCCCA NCAA Division 1 Regional Index.
WAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2016 WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships are hosted by Missouri-Kansas City and held in Kansas City, Mo. from May 11-14. Last year, the Utah Valley won and the Missouri-Kansas City women took home the championship.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2016 Outdoor Track and Field National Championships will take place in Eugene, Ore. from June 8-11.
June 8-11, 2016
Location: Eugene, Ore.
Facility: Hayward Field