Senior Season!

UVU Dominates at BYU Cougar Invitational

PROVO, Utah - Utah Valley's track & field teams didn't let the cold weather bother them Friday at the BYU Cougar Invitational as the Wolverines combined to win eight events and shattered two more school records as well.

The two-time reigning Great West Conference Athlete of the Month, Allah Laryea-Akrong, continues his impressive freshman campaign as he set a new school record in the 200-meter dash. Junior Chelsea Baker also broke the 400-meter dash school record as well.

"The meet went really well," UVU head coach Scott Houle said. "Allah and Chelsea Baker didn't let the cold weather effect their performances today. As a team this was our best performance that we have ever had at this meet. We had great performances all the way from distance to our throwing events. All around it was the best meet that we've ever had at BYU before."

Laryea-Akrong led UVU again, as he won both the 100 and 200-meter dashes. He won the 100 with a solid time of 10.57 and broke the school record in the 200 with an impressive time of 20.97. Baker set the new school record in the 400, winning the event with a stellar time of 56.32. Baker also led UVU in the 200, as she placed second overall with a time of 24.91.

Junior Shantay Dodge also had a huge meet for UVU as she set a new personal record in the triple jump by more than two-feet. She finished third in the event, reaching a mark of 11.45m or 37'-06.75", which was only 6 centimeters shy of the school record. Sophomore Becky Reeves also had a big personal best in the women's hammer throw as she placed eighth with a throw of 48.10m. Reeves also led UVU in the discus, placing fifth with a toss of 42.04m and the shot put, placing 12th (12.29m).

Junior Mary Nothum continued her hot season as she won the 1500-meter run, finishing with a time of 4:41.81. Her running mates Shelise Walker, Karinne Bentley, and Aleina Eisenhauer all finished two, three, and four respectively in the event as well. Sophomore Rosina Amenebede won two more events for UVU on the day, as she walked away by winning the 100-meter dash (12.21) and the long jump (18'-08.75").

UVU also won the women's 4x100-meter relay, as the tandem of Brittany Harris, Jessica Wortley, Shantay Dodge, and Sally Hansen won it with a time of 46.82.

Back on the men's side, freshman Trac Norris picked up UVU's first victory of the afternoon as he won the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:25.56. Norris paced himself well in the event and had enough steam in the end to pull away for the victory. Freshman Mike Keith was big for the Wolverines in the 400-meter dash as he finished second with a time of 48.11. Junior Whitney Aste also placed second for UVU on the day in the women's high jump as she cleared 5'-05".

The Wolverines will be back in action on the track next Saturday, April 10, at the Utah Open in Salt Lake City.

Ground Breaking 2010

UVU on track for new athletic facility

Some of Utah Valley University's track athletes danced to the music in the background. Some turned over dirt with gold-colored shovels, and all of them posed for a team picture.

Happy days at UVU.

• THURSDAY AFTERNOON, UVU hosted a groundbreaking celebration for the Hal Wing Track and Field Complex, ending six years of hoping, planning and fundraising.

The $1.5 million project is under way and is scheduled to be completed in September of this year.

"It's so exciting for all of us, our whole athletic community. We've talked about this for so long. We've had so many setbacks and opportunities to get discouraged and push forward. Thank goodness it's come to fruition now," said Mike Jacobsen, UVU athletic director. "I think it's going to be one of the fine track facilities around. It's going to be really nice."

The track is located just north of Brent Brown Ballpark along the frontage road just west of the Orem campus. Jacobsen said the project turned out to cost about $600,000 more than originally anticipated, so it will just include the track. Bleachers, storage, a scoreboard, and even a fence surrounding the track will have to wait until the school finds additional funding.

The groundbreaking event began with a race -- Wing against UVU sprint coach Paul Smith in a 75-yard dash. Smith even got a head start, but Wing, the Founder of Little Giant Ladders, was on a motorcycle. Smith won in a photo finish.

Wing then stepped up to the podium to explain why he donated to the project.

"I really wanted one thing that my grandchildren could drive by or come and attend and be proud of," Wing said. "I wasn't sitting around my desk waiting for someone to ask for a donation. This just seemed like a really, really good cause."

For UVU track coach Scott Houle, the project has been a long-anticipated dream come true.

"The last few years it's been really hard. We never really knew if it was going to come because a track is so expensive," Houle said. "Since Hal Wing came in about a year and a half ago, it started to roll, so this day has been a really exciting day for us. It couldn't come soon enough."

Remarkably, UVU has been able to compete at a high level in track despite not having a facility. Both the men's and women's teams won last year's Great West Conference track titles.

The biggest winners on this day were the student athletes. Tiera Zaugg, a senior, talked about what it meant for the track team to have its own facility.

"I was one of those athletes that was recruited based on I was going to get a track. I'm now in my fifth year, I will be going into my sixth year, so I strategically worked it out by breaking both feet so I can go six years so I can run on a track," Zaugg said. "I'm so exited about getting a track. Hal and Brigitte (Wing), I hope you all know how much this means to us. I didn't want to cry, it's so cheesy, but we are so thankful for you guys to donate this money."

There were a few tears, but mostly smiles. About six year's worth.