Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
News releaseMISSOULA -- Weber State's men finished second and the women, fourth, at the 2009 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships held this week at the University of Montana in Missoula.
Northern Arizona won its third straight men's title rolling up 169 points. The Wildcats were second with 142, followed by Idaho State (132), Montana State (105), Eastern Washington (82), Sacramento State (65), Montana (58), Northern Colorado (40) and Portland State (24).
Weber State's Brock Rose (Jr.-North Ogden, Utah) was named the Men's Track Athlete of the Meet. Rose scored 25 points. He placed first in the 100 and 200 meters (20 points) and was on both winning relay teams (5 points). Idaho State's Nathan Capps was the Men's Field Athlete of the Meet.
"Brock certainly deserves the award," said WSU men's coach Dan Walker. "He made little bits of improvement each week and never took a backward step in any of his training. I expect him to be even better next season."
Sacramento State's women successfully defended their 2008 crown. The Hornets had 161 points. Northern Arizona was second with 121, followed by Montana State with 116. The Wildcats has 104 points. Montana was fifth (84), Idaho State sixth (81), Northern Colorado seventh (60), Eastern Washington eighth (55) and Portland State, ninth with 36.
NAU's Vernonica Pohl was named the Women's Track Athlete of the Meet and Idaho State's Sydney Wendt was the Women's Field Athlete of the Meet.
The WSU men had six first place finishes on Saturday with Brock Rose the double winner in the 100 (10.83) and 200 (21.35). Jace Nye (Jr.-Kaysville, Utah) won the 800 Meter run (1:52.58 making him a double winner for the meet. Nye won the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase on Friday. Taylor Pebley (Jr.-West Haven, Utah) won the 400 Meter Hurdles in a personal best time of 52.51. That is the fourth best time in WSU school history.
Both relay teams captured first place titles, earning them a spot in the NCAA Regional meet on May 29-30 in Eugene, Oregon. The 4x100 squad of Tyler McBee (Soph.-Beaverton, Oregon), Taylor Pebley, Brock Rose and Chris Struckman (Fr.-Portland, Oregon) produced the second best time in WSU school history with a time of 40.82.
"We were even with Northern Arizona at the hand off but Chris Struckman performed like an upperclassman and left his man in the a cloud. It was a super effort." said Walker.
McBee, Cylor Morgan (Fr.-Vernal, Utah), Rose and Taylor comprised the winning 4x400 Meter Relay team with a time of 3:12.30.
McBee, along with Struckman, were busy bodies throughout the meet. McBee earned individual All-Conference honors (1st-2nd-3rd place) in both hurdle events with a couple of third place finishes. He ran 14.59 in the 110 Meter Hurdles and season and career best 52.95 in the 400 Meter Hurdles.
Struckman finished third in the 100 Meters (10.85), fifth in High Jump (6-04.75), sixth in the Long Jump (22-05.25) and anchored the 4x100 Relay team.
"We had a really good day and I am pleased with the team's effort this week," said Walker. "The really exciting aspect of all this is we have just one senior on this team so everyone will be back next year and we are hosting the 2010 meet in Ogden."
The men also got Saturday points from David Olson (Jr.-Colorado Springs, Colorado) and Mike Hardy (Fr.-Morgan, Utah) in the 1,500 Meters. Olson was fourth (3:51.72) and Hardy seventh (3:54.88). Olson earned All-Conference honors on Friday with a third place finish in the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase.
WSU's lone senior, Bryant Jensen (Farr West, Utah) was caught up in a sea of blue and gold in the 5,000 Meters on Saturday as Northern Arizona captured the first five spots scoring 33 teams points. Jensen was sixth (14:49.90). He also finished 6th in Friday night's 10,000 Meter run.
Kyle Cockayne (Jr.-Dripping Springs, Texas) picked up a point in the 110 Meter Hurdles with an eighth place finish in 15.23 and Nate Carter (Jr.-Roy, Utah) was fourth in the 400 Meter Hurdles in a season-best 53.45.
Coach Jim Blaisdell's women faired much better on Saturday led by former Bonneville High star Ally Dean (Jr.-Ogden, Utah). Dean won the 400 Meter Hurdles setting a new school record with a time of 59.49. The old mark of 59.75 was set in 2002 by Cecilee Day. Dean also had career best time of 14.23 in the 100 Meter Hurdles finishing fourth. She also ran the opening leg on both Relay teams which finished second (4x100) and first (4x400).
"Ally obviously had a great meet," said Blaisdell. "She just blew away the rest of the field in the 400 hurdles and make tremendous improvement in the 100 hurdles. She also got us off to good starts in both relays."
The women got all-conference performances from Jessica Carter (Fr.-Roy, Utah) who finished third in the 800 Meters in 2:12.84. Haley Rose (Jr.-North Ogden, Utah) was fourth in 2:13.94 and freshman Laken Skidmore placed eighth in 2:19.14. Skidmore did, however, earn all-conference in the 1,500 Meters with a third place finish in 4:32.31.
Another freshman, Natalie Haws (Kaysville, Utah) make a strong run in the 5,000 Meters. She earned all-conference honors with a third place finish in 17:39.72.
Michaela North (Jr.-Kennewick, Washington) earned all-conference honors with a third place finish in the 100 Meter hurdles tying her season best time of 14.15. North finished sixth in the Heptathlon and fifth in the Long Jump.
In what turned out to be the final event of day, the women's discus had a lot of drama. Weber State's Alana Faagai (Jr.-San Leandro, California) had a career best throw of 158-08.00 but was edged out by Montana State's Kirstin Lee who had a final toss of 158-09.00 to win the event. Lindsey Spencer (Soph.-Farr West, Utah) also earned all-conference honors in the event finishing third with a career best of156-01.00. That also qualifies her for the NCAA Region meet in two weeks as well.
Ally Dean, Kristin Billings (Fr.-Kaysville, Utah), Brittany Webb (Jr.-Twin Falls, Idaho) and Maria North, placed second in the 4x100 Meter Relay in 46.62. Dean, North, Camille Lott (Soph.-Kaysville, Utah) and Jessica Carter teamed up to win the 4x400 Meter Relay in a season best time of 3:42.77. It is the third best time in WSU school history and also qualifies them for the NCAA Regional meet.
In other events, senior Maria North (The Dalles, Oregon) finished her WSU career with a fourth place finish in the 100 Meters in a season best 12.14 and a fifth place finish in the 200 Meters in 24.76.
"We had a much better day on Saturday than we did on Friday, but we just couldn't keep any momentum going when it came our way. Still, I am pleased with this group. It's a young team which got better and better each week. They have a bright future ahead of them." Blaisdell said.
(Courtesy Weber State)
