Wolverines Perform Well to Open Outdoor Season

Utah Valley's men's and women's team performed well in their first outdoor season action at UNLV.

March 7, 2009

Complete Results

LAS VEGAS - The Utah Valley University's men's and women's track and field teams began their 2009 outdoor seasons with strong performances at the UNLV Classic on Saturday.

"Today's meet was very competitive," UVU head track and field coach Scott Houle said. "The weather was wonderful which allowed us to get in an early outdoor meet which will in turn free up a weekend later in the season. I was very pleased with how well we performed today as this was our first outdoor meet of the season."

Top performers on the day for UVU's women's team include freshman McKell Camp as well as fellow freshman Nicole Knighton. Camp placed second overall in the women's javelin, the throw was a career best for her as well. Knighton continued to climb up on the performance list as she won the women's shot put and also placed high in the women's hammer throw.

UVU freshman Zandrea Nelson had an impressive time as she won the 400m. Junior Jami Daniels and sophomore Kaylee Hornbeck both had personal bests in the women's triple jump. Utah Valley's women's 4x400m relay team also won that event with an impressive time for the first outdoor meet.

Freshman Ty Bunting performed well again on the men's side. Bunting had very great throws in discus as well as the shot put, placing in both. Junior Jacob Buhler ran very well in the 5000m especially as Buhler is coming off of an injury. Freshman Michael Ashton also had a great meet as he tied for first in the men's pole vault.

UVU competed against athletes from UNLV, Nevada, Southern Utah and Alaska Anchorage.

Complete results will be added to this story when they come available. UNLV encountered a number of computer problems causing a delay on the results.

The meet marked a quick track transition for the Wolverines as they just completed their indoor season as both the men's and women's teams placed second last Monday at the Great West Conference Indoor Championships. UVU will now have about a month to get ready for its next action of the outdoor season that will come April 3 at the BYU Cougar Invitational. The Wolverines will host their lone home track and field meet, the UVU Invitational, the following day on April 4.

Interviews of Team: (I was unable to run all my four 400m because I got really sick the next day!) :(

Both UVU Men and Women in Second Place After Day One

Both the Wolverines men's and women's teams are in second place after day number one at the GWC Indoor Track Championships.

March 1, 2009

Complete Day One Results

VERMILLION, S.D. - Day one of the Great West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships is in the books as Utah Valley University's men's and women's teams are both currently in second place behind the leading host school South Dakota with the final day of events to come Monday.

Leading the way for the men's team was freshman Michael McPherson and sophomore Jared Keller. McPherson is currently leading the men's heptathlon that will wrap up Monday morning with 2701 points. McPherson has won three of the four completed events including the 60m dash, long jump and high jump. The freshman for Utah Valley also won the men's long jump with a leap of 6.99m. Keller was able to win the 3000m run on Sunday with a time of 8:42.56. Keller's win in the 3000m marked a lifetime best for him.

Keller also had a strong performance in the men's distance medley relay as his team trailed by 25 or more meters as he entered the last leg of the event. Keller helped his team to a second place finish in the event with his impressive comeback finishing with a time of 10:09.38 only one-hundredth of a second behind the winning team, UTPA. Members of UVU's second place finish relay team were Tim Rowberry, Jorden Pope, Michael McKell, and Jared Keller. In the finals of the men's pole vault UVU's Jacob Hull tied for second with 4.75m, Michael Ashton placed fourth with 4.65m, and Jared Ray fifth with 4.55m.

Leading the way for the Wolverines in the women's pentathlon was junior Tiera Zaugg. Zaugg finished placing third overall in the pentathlon with 2939 points. Out of the five-events Zaugg won the long jump with a jump of 5.28m, and also the shot put with a throw of 10.24m. She also placed second in the high jump with a jump of 1.49m, and placed third in the 800m run with a time of 2:34.63. UVU's Amanda Peart finished right behind Zaugg placing fourth, Shantay Hall fifth and Jami Daniels seventh.

UVU junior Mary Nothum also helped the women's team as she placed second in the 3000m run on Sunday with a time of 10:06.19, as her teammate senior Karinne Bentley finished fifth with a time of 10:20.18. In the distance medley relay the team of Bentley, Jessica Wortley, Kalina Zufelt, and Nothum finished second for the Wolverines with a time of 12:06.81.

Utah Valley also had a number of athletes qualify for the finals in a number of events for tomorrow's conclusion of the two day long championships. UVU's Jazmine Wittman, Amanda Morse, and Natasha Martin all landed spots in the finals of the 60 and 200m dashes. Kaylee Hornbeck also qualified for the finals in the 60m hurdles for Utah Valley. Qualifying for the men's team was Mike Fogt in the 60m dash, Brandon Lovell in the 60 and 400m dashes and Brent Fogt in the 200m dash. UVU also had a number of athletes qualify for the finals in the 60m hurdles as Andrew Graham, Kenneth Boggs, Michael McPherson, and Justin Tungate all made it.

Great West Indoor Conference Championships

UVU Men and Women Place Second at GWC Championships

UVU freshman Michael McPherson was named the GWC Male Newcomer of Year as well as the 2009 Male Athlete of the Year.

March 2, 2009

Complete Men's Results

Complete Women's Results

VERMILLION, S.D. - Utah Valley University's men's and women's track and field teams both finished in second place at the Great West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships as the two day event finished up on Monday at the University of South Dakota.

UVU men's team ended up finishing with 146.50 not to far behind the winning Coyotes of South Dakota who had 178 points to lead the way. On the women's side South Dakota ran away with the team victory winning with 271 points while the women's Wolverines finished in second with 135 points.

"Overall we were very pleased with both our men's and women's efforts this weekend," UVU head track and field coach Scott Houle said. "We finished right where we projected we were going to in both the men's and women's. South Dakota has a good men's and especially a good women's team but I was proud with how our kids came out and competed here at the GWC Championships."

UVU freshman Michael McPherson was named the GWC Male Newcomer of the Year as well as the prestigious GWC Male Athlete of the Year after winning the men's heptathlon, men's long jump, as well as the men's triple jump. In the men's heptathlon McPherson, a true-freshman from Parker, Colo. (Chaparral HS), finished with a total of 4523 points as well as winning five out of the seven events including the: 60m dash, the 60m hurdles, the long jump, the high jump, and the 1000m run. McPherson also individual men's long jump with a leap of 22'-11.25", as well as the men's triple jump reaching 45'-00.25".

UVU men's team looked pretty impressive in the 60m hurdles as Kenneth Boggs won the event with an impressive time of 8.49. Also in the event Utah Valley junior Andrew Graham finished third, sophomore Justin Tungate fourth, and McPherson placed fifth. Sophomore Tim Rowberry placed second in the men's mile run with a time of 4:23.33 to lead UVU. Rowberry also led the way in the men's 800m run with a time of 1:57.05 while his teammate freshman Michael McKell finished right behind him placing fourth.

Wolverine senior Danny Moody led UVU's men's team with his fourth place finish in the 5000m run with a time of 15:24.53. Utah Valley freshman Ty Bunting finished third overall in the men's shot put with a throw of 49'-09.25".

Utah Valley's women's team performed well in the women's one mile as junior Mary Nothum led the way finishing second with a time of 5:04.75 while senior Karinne Bentley placed third with 5:05.42. In the women's 400m dash UVU freshman Zandrea Nelson placed second to lead the way with a time of 58.29, while her teammate sophomore Chelsea Baker finished right behind her in third with 58.31. In the women's 800m run UVU freshman Kalina Zufelt placed third to lead the Wolverines with a time of 2:19.33 as Nothum finished in sixth with 2:24.46.

In the field events UVU freshman Nicole Knighton placed third in the women's shot put with a strong throw of 44'-03.25" while sophomore Whitney Aste tied for second in the high jump with a leap of 5'-05.00". UVU sprinters Natasha Martin, Jazmine Wittman, and Amanda Morse all performed well for the Wolverines as Martin and Wittman tied for third in the 200m with a time of 25.47 while Morse placed sixth with 25.70. In the 60m dash Martin finished fourth, Wittman fifth, and Morse seventh.

"Michael McPherson was just great," Coach Houle added. "He was definitely able to impress a lot of people here as well as the other coaches. Now we will switch gears to get ready for the outdoor season that we start this upcoming weekend. It is an exciting time as we head outside, especially for our kids that have not competed in the cross country or indoor seasons."

The GWC Indoor Track and Field Championships concluded the Wolverines indoor season. UVU will not have much of a layoff, as Utah Valley will begin its outdoor season Saturday, March 7 in Las Vegas at the UNLV Classic.

Great West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship Awards went to:
GWC Female Newcomer of the Year: Brittane Gaines (Houston Baptist)
GWC Women's Indoor Coach of the Year: Lucky Huber (South Dakota)
2009 Female Athlete of the Year: Ramsey Fitzsimmons (South Dakota)
GWC Male Newcomer of the Year: Michael McPherson (Utah Valley)
GWC Male Indoor Coach of the Year: Dave Gottsleben (South Dakota)
2009 Male Athlete of the Year: Michael McPherson (Utah Valley)

Final Men's Team Scores:
1. South Dakota- 178.00

2. Utah Valley- 146.50

3. Texas-Pan American- 106.00

 4. North Dakota- 86.50

5. Houston Baptist- 74.00

6. Chicago State- 32.00

7. New Jersey Institute of Technology- 30.00

Final Women's Team Scores:
1. South Dakota 271.00

2. Utah Valley 135.00

3. Texas-Pan American 87.00

 4. North Dakota 77.00

5. Houston Baptist 69.00

6. New Jersey Inst. of Technology- 8.00

 7. Chicago State 6.00