USU track to compete in Mountan States Games
The Utah State University indoor track team is competing in the Mountain States Games today and Saturday in Pocatello, Idaho against Idaho State University, Montana State University, BYU, the University of Utah, Weber State University and Southern Utah University as well as unattached individual athletes.
Today’s competition starts at noon with the pentathlon and preliminaries for the short sprints, while Saturday’s events begin at 9 a.m. It is a non-scoring meet, so individual, not team scores will be kept.
Head Coach Gregg Gensel said all the team’s meets, including this one, are leading up to the NCAA Indoor Championships March 8 and 9. He said he wants the athletes to keep improving, and he isn’t as concerned with their scores at this point.
“They aren’t ready to run their best ever right now,” he said. “They may, but we’re preparing them to be ready for nationals.”
Gensel said he expects a lot of solid individual performances from the Aggies. Candice Workman, who won the shot put at the Wilson Motor Invitational Jan. 26, and Josh Sides are expected to do well in the throwing events.
In the sprints, Sandra Reategui, who won the 60-meter dash at the home meet, is expected to do well. Other Aggies expected to place well are Kathleen Hobbs, Kristi Shouman, Justin Wickard, Dwayne Foster and Anthony Stewart, who won the 60-meter dash at home.
Gensel said he also expects some strong performances from the distance runners, some of which have been injured lately. Kristen Coombs, who won the mile in the Fieldhouse; Steve Prescott, who won the 5,000 at the Wilson Motor Invitational; and Dusan Hlubocky, who is recovering from an injury over Christmas Break, are expected to finish well in the distance events.
“For the first time, our distance runners are coming out and competing a little more,” Gensel said.
Deb Barker and Maurice Jenkins, who won the pole vault at USU’s home meet, are expected to lead the Aggies in the pole vault.
Gensel said he is pleased with how the athletes have performed in their first two meets and is looking forward to the rest of the season.
“I liked what I’ve seen,” Gensel said. “We’ve shown improvement and that’s the key. We’ve had a couple of people who’ve been sick, and if we can get them better, then I think we’ll do well this season.”
Following the Mountain States Games, USU will return to Idaho State for the third time this season Saturday for the Idaho StateQuadrangular meet.