USU TRACK HEADS TO WAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Utah State sprinter DJ Smith boasts the best times among any Western Athletic Conference runners in the men’s 100 and 200 meters heading into this week’s conference championships meet.

  Smith, who has clocked a 10.39 in the 100 and a 21.03 in the 200, leads a contingent of eight Aggies who own the league’s best mark or distance in their respective events.

     The championships will take place in Honolulu, Hawai’i from Wednesday, May 10 through Saturday, May 13.  Multi-events are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, with prelims and finals slated for Friday and Saturday.

Smtih, a junior from Pleasanton, Calif., also ranks fourth in the Western Region and 27th in the NCAA in the 100 as well as seventh in the region and 42nd nationally in the 200.

       Other Aggies with WAC-leading times or distances include Ben Kessen (4:13.33 in the mile), Vance Twtichell (9:02.66 in the Steeplechase), Justin Wickard (14.07 in the 110 hurdles), Scott Bell (50.98 in the 400 hurdles), Clint Silcock (6-10.75 in the high jump), and Lacey Hulbert (5,124 points in the heptathlon).  In addition, USU’s men’s 4×100 relay also leads the league with a time of 40.76.

     Last year, Utah State’s men finished fifth while the Aggie women were fourth at the Big West Championships.  UTEP’s men won the WAC meet last year, but are not back to defend the title, while Louisiana Tech won the women’s side. 

   USU posted two individual champions in Tiffany Strickland in the steeplechase and David Danley in the 10,000 as well as the men winning the 4×100 relay at last season’s meet.

  On the women’s side, Judd, who boasts the league’s second-best 100 hurdles time (14.06), also has the second-best 400 hurdles mark at 1:00.60.  At last year’s Big West championships, the junior from Midvale, Utah was second in the 100 hurdles and fourth in the 400 hurdles.

       Current Aggies who have won individual conference titles in the past include Kristen Guymon, who won the 2002 Big West title in the 1,500 as Kristen Coombs and Tiffany Strickland, who won the steeplechase last year.

USU’s women have not claimed a conference track championship since 1999, when the Aggies finished their run of seven straight Big West titles.  The Aggie men won back-to-back Big West titles in 2002 and 2003 before placing seventh in 2004 and fifth last year.  This past fall, the USU men won the WAC Cross Country Championship.

        After the WAC Championships, USU’s qualified athletes will compete at the NCAA West Regional at Brigham Young, May 26-27.  The NCAA Championships are slated for Sacramento, Calif., June 7-10.

USU Individual Rankings

Utah State Men’s Track Rankings (top 10 in WAC)

Event      Name    Time    WAC     Region  NCAA 100 DJ Smith        10.39   1st     4th     27th

200 DJ Smith        21:03   1st     7th     42nd    Cedric Young    21:46   4th

400  Dasheek Akwenye 48:00   4th

800  Craig Bown      1:52.78 5th     Yance Fawcett   1:53.46 7th     David Gray      1:54.37 9th     Emon Williams   1:54.40 10th

1,500       Ben Kessen      3:52.31 3rd     Seth Wold       3:55.89 4th     Todd Griffith   3:57.26 6th

5,000        Trever Ball     14:27.75        3rd     Seth Wold       14:39.21        6th     Vance Twitchell 14:41.50        7th

Mile Ben Kessen      4:13.33 1st

Steeple      Vance Twitchell 9:02.66 1st     10th    53rd    Derek Hastings  9:54.26 10th

110 H       Justin Wickard  14:07   1st     9th     41st    Scott Bell      14.40   4th     Jason Jeppson   14.70   7th     Nick Karren     14.82   8th

400 H        Scott Bell      50.98   1st     5th     15th    Justin Wickard  52.96   4th     Nick Karren     53.12   6th

4×100        USU     40.76   1st

4×400        USU     3:14.64 4th     High Jump       Clint Silcock   6-10.75 1st     10th    25th    Mike McConkie   6-08.00 2nd

Long Jump    Justin Wickard  23-01.75        5th

Triple Jump  Nnamdi Gwacham  47-02.50        5th     Kevin Robinson  45-01.75        8th

Discus       Kevin Liu       162-08  8th

Hammer       Kevin Liu       18-05.00        7th     22nd    94th

Javelin     Logan Moore     188-11.00       5th     Chase Taylor    172-10.00       8th

Shot Put     Kevin Liu       52-05.50        7th

Pole Vault   Max Hansen      15-03.00        2nd     Palmer Hawkins  15-01.00        3rd        Ryan Pevey      13-09.50        7th

Utah State Women’s Track Rankings (top 10 in WAC)

Event       Name    Time    WAC     Region  NCAA 800 Kristen Guymon  2:10.06 4th     Jill Steele     2:11.11 6th     Jennifer Twitchell      2:14.21 9th     Amy Egan        2:14.38 10th

1,500       Kristen Guymon  4:23.80 2nd     10th    29th    Jennifer Twitchell      4:26.81 3rd     22nd    68th    Amy Egan        4:35.30 6th     Stacie Lifferth 4:40.75 9th     Caroline Berry  4:40.95 10th

5,000       Caroline Berry  17:16.28        2nd             Stacie Lifferth 17:57.36        6th     Rebecca Bostwick        17:48.00        7th     Vanessa Hawkins 18:08.62        9th

Steeple      Stacie Lifferth 10:28.05        2nd     6th     21st           Tiffany Strickland      10:41.77        3rd     15th    62nd    Jennifer Twitchell      11:08.40        4th     100 H   Amber Judd      14.06   2nd     Lacey Hulbert   14.40   6th

400 H        Amber Judd      1:00.60 2nd     Dana Strauss    1:04.52 8th

4×100        USU     48.07   8th

4×400        USU     3:51.58 3rd

High Jump    Lacey Hulbert   5-07.25 2nd     Tara Pickett    5-06.75 5th     Aimee Savageau  5-04.25 9th

Pole Vault   Kat Duhadway    12-06.00        3rd     18th    53rd

Heptathlon  Lacey Hulbert   5124    1st     10th    32nd    Aimee Savageau  4233    3rd