USU Men Are Back-To-Back WAC Track and Field Champions, Women Finish Fourth

Utah State [University] men’s track and field team repeated as Western Athletic Conference champions, while the Aggie women finished fourth as the WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships wrapped up Saturday [May 15] at Louisiana Tech’s Jim Mize Track and Field Complex in Ruston, La.

 

USU won its second-straight WAC outdoor title and won both the indoor and the outdoor WAC titles for the first time in the Aggies’ six seasons in the league. Utah State becomes the first back-to-back WAC outdoor champion since BYU won the 1998 and 1999 titles.

 

This is Utah State’s third WAC outdoor championship (2007, 2009 and 2010) and fifth WAC track and field title overall (2008 and 2010 indoor titles). Overall, USU has won 10 outdoor conference championships (three WAC, seven Big West).

 

The Aggie women finished fourth for the third-straight season after finishing fifth in 2007 and third in 2006.

 

USU veteran head coach Gregg Gensel was named the WAC Men’s Coach of the Year, his fourth WAC track and field honor and 25th overall of his career.

 

The Utah State men entered Saturday trailing Boise State by 15 points (75-60), but the Aggies overtook and pulled away from the Broncos as USU finished with 173 points and BSU ended with 141 points. Host Louisiana Tech was third with 128 points, followed by Fresno State in fourth with 113 points and Idaho in fifth with 92 points.

 

On the women’s side, Louisiana Tech won its sixth-straight outdoor title, overtaking Idaho by collecting 194 points, while Idaho had 175.5. Boise State was in third with 93 points, followed by Utah State in fourth with 80 points. Hawai’i was fifth with 74.5 points, followed by Fresno State in sixth with 69 points, while Nevada and New Mexico State tied for seventh with 66 points each.

 

Saturday’s action on the track started with the men’s 4x100m relay as senior Nick Karren, junior Armahd Lewis, freshman Matt Maughan and Mike Pyrtle ran a school-record time of 40.05, bettering their own record of 40.38 they set April 24 at the California meet. The Aggies finished second, behind Louisiana Tech’s winning time of 39.89.

 

Pyrtle won the 100m dash title with a time of 10.51, while Lewis was second with a 10.53 clocking. Pyrtle becomes USU’s second WAC 100m dash champion, joining DJ Smith in 2006 and the third 100m conference champion in USU history, joining Bode Osagiobare who won Big West titles in both 1992 and 1993. On Friday, Pyrtle had the fastest preliminary time with a 10.33, which is tied for the second-fastest time in school history, tying Osagiobare’s time from 1993 and behind the school record time by Smith of 10.28 in 2007.

 

Karren later won the 400m hurdles with a career-best and third-fastest time in school history with a 50.35. It is Karren’s second WAC 400m hurdles outdoor championship, also winning it in 2007, and his fifth career WAC title, winning the indoor 60m hurdles crown in 2008 and the indoor 400m in both 2008 and 2009.

 

Junior Joe Canavan became USU’s first WAC outdoor shot put champion, winning the event with a toss of 18.37m (60-03.25). Canavan completed the sweep of the shot put in 2010, also winning the indoor title. Overall, Canavan is the sixth conference outdoor shot put champion in school history.

 

On the women’s side, sophomore Kim Quinn was fourth in the 5,000m with a personal-best time of 17:27.29, the fifth-fastest time in school history.

 

Senior Elaine Connolly and sophomore Jessie Chugg were second and third, respectively, in the 800m, with times of 2:09.06 and 2:12.00. Senior Erin Stratton was third in the 1,500 with a time of 4:38.82, while junior Shannon Prince was fourth in the discus with a mark of 48.08m (157-09), and senior Jennifer Day was sixth in the 400m with a time of 56.21.

 

Both 4x100m and the 4x400m relay teams were fifth, as freshmen Mercedes Blackwood, Aubrie Haymore and Bailee Whitworth along with Day ran a season-best 46.61 time.

 

Haymore and Day were also on the 4x400m relay team, joining Chugg and Connolly, as the foursome ran a 3:45.88 time, also the fastest time of the season and missing the USU top 10 list by .64 second, as the No. 10 spot is 3:45.24.

 

Those athletes that qualify will be competing in the NCAA Championship West Region Preliminary Round, in Austin, Texas on May 28-29.

 

WAC Championships
May 12-15, 2010
Ruston, La.

 

Utah State Results
Day 4 – Saturday

 

Women’s Team Scores
1. Louisiana Tech, 194
2. Idaho, 175.5
3. Boise State, 93
4. Utah State, 80
5. Hawai`i, 74.5
6. Fresno State, 69
7. Nevada, 66
7. New Mexico State, 66

 

Men’s Team Scores
1. Utah State, 173
2. Boise State, 141
3. Louisiana Tech, 128
4. Fresno State, 113
5. Idaho, 92

 

Outstanding Track Performer: Allix Lee-Painter, Idaho
Outstanding Field Performer: Ulrike Hartz, Idaho
Freshman of the Year: Quanisha Sales, Louisiana Tech
High Point Award Winner: Allix Lee-Painter, Idaho, 30 points
Coach of the Year: Gary Stanley, Louisiana Tech

 

Outstanding Track Performer: Albert Fullwood, Louisiana Tech
Outstanding Field Performer: Kurt Felix, Boise State
Freshman of the Year: Josh Goree, Louisiana Tech
High Point Award Winner: Kurt Felix, Boise State, 38 points
Coach of the Year: Gregg Gensel, Utah State

 

 

WOMEN

4x100m Relay — 5. Utah State, 46.61 (Mercedes Blackwood, Aubrie Haymore, Jennifer Day, Bailee Whitworth).  

400m — 6. Jennifer Day, 56.21; 9. Aubrie Haymore, 56.62; 13. Hollie Bosworth, 59.21.

800m — 2. Elaine Connolly, 2:09.06; 3. Jessie Chugg, 2:12.00.

1,500m — 3. Erin Stratton, 4:38.82; 9. Alex Litzsinger, 4:45.14.

4x400m Relay — 5. Utah State, 3:45.88 (Aubrie Haymore, Jennifer Day, Jessie Chugg, Elaine Connolly).   

 

5,000m — 4. Kim Quinn, 17:27.29; 9. Erin Stratton, 18:11.40; 10. Marissa Floodman, 18:24.28; 12. Stephanie Burt, 18:33.32; 16. Alicia Holt, 18:48.17; Alex Litzsinger, DNF; Ruth Hilton, DNF.

Hammer Throw — 12. Spela Hus, 39.00m (127-11); Lindsey Spencer, Foul.

Triple Jump — 10. Julia Stewart, 11.17m (36-07.75).

Discus — 4. Shannon Prince, 48.08m (157-09); 9. Lindsey Spencer, 40.99m (134-06); 10. Spela Hus; 39.12m (128-04).

High Jump — 8.  Brianne Campbell, 1.57m (5-01.75); 9. Madison Jensen, 1.57m (5-01.75); 11. Lauren Gwilliam, 1.57m (5-01.75); 13. Shalyse Olsen, 1.52m (4-11.75).

 

MEN

100m — 1. Mike Pyrtle, 10.51; 2. Armahd Lewis, 10.53; 8. Matt Maughan, 10.83.       

110m Hurdles — 2. Nick Karren, 14.32; 3. Dylan Nielson, 14.33; 7. Jon Goble, 15.77.

200m — 4. Armahd Lewis, 21.33.

4x100m Relay — 2. Utah State, 40.05 (Nick Karren, Armahd Lewis, Matt Maughan, Mike Pyrtle) * School record

400m — 7. Tyler Killpack, 50.00.

400m Hurdles — 1. Nick Karren, 50.35.

800m — 4. Jason Holt, 1:51.94.

1,500m — 2. Eric Larson, 3:51.07; 4. Hunter Nelson, 3:52.27; 8. Steve Strickland, 3:58.51.

4x400m Relay — 4. Utah State, 3:17.41 (Jeff Alley, Tyler Killpack, Jason Holt, Nick Karren).    

5,000m — 2. Brian McKenna, 14:27.19; 3. Daniel Howell, 14:46.24; 6. Nick Bolinder, 14:55.09; 7. Steve Strickland, 14:57.60; 10. Aaron Clements, 15:12.30; 14. Hunter Nelson, 15:30.27; 17. Eric Larson, 15:40.60.  

Pole Vault — 2. John Johnson, 4.79m (15-08.50); 4. Max Hansen, 4.79m (15-08.50); 6. Philip Noble, 4.64m (15-02.75).

Javelin — 6. Alex DuPlesis, 56.82m (186-05); 9. Jon Goble, 48.70m (159-09).

Shot Put — 1. Joe Canavan, 18.37m (60-03.25); 7. Spencer Hall, 15.50m (50-10.25); 9. Daneil Cruz, 15.05m (49-04.50).

Triple Jump — 7. Eric Follett, 13.53m (44-04.75); 10. Casey Parker, 13.12m (43-00.50); Damian Szade, ND.


 

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