UTES Step Up Big at Conference Meet

Three Conference Champions, Two School Records
Utes qualify two more for the Regional Championships

Utah tracksters had a very successful Mountain West Conference Championship meet hosted by the University of Wyoming over the weekend. The Utes captured three championships and had two new Regional qualifiers and two new school records in the process.

Chelsea Shapard and Sarah Grimm were heavy favorites to win their events, 400 Meter Hurdles and the Hammer Throw, respectively. They did not disappoint their fans and dominated their events. Shapard ran a new school record time of 57.88, which was also a 0.3 second improvement on her Regional qualifying mark. The third winner, freshman Langley Iverson, however, surprised everyone except maybe the Utah coaching staff by winning the high jump title with a new lifetime best jump of 5’ 8.75”, which is fifth on the all-time list. Iverson qualified for the Regional championhsips as did another freshman, Klaudia Rokossa, in the Pole Vault. Rokossa placed fourth with a new personal best jump of 12’ 7.5” which is second on the all-time list.  
 
Utah’s 4x400 Meter Relay Team Chelsea Shapard, Chelsey Kaplar, Whitney Wellington and Ashley Patterson finihsed third in a new school record time of 3:38.96. It is also a two second improvement to their Regional qualifying time and their previous week and a half old school record.
 
The 4x100 Meter Relay team Haley McAllister-Birkeland, Whitney Wellington, Chelsea Shapard and Ashley Patterson placed fifth with a time of 46.39, which is second best time on the all-time list.  
 
Utah also had several other athletes that placed in the top eight: Josefin Berg 2nd in the Hammer with a toss of 193’ 3”, which is an improvement to her Regional qualifying mark; Lauren Endersen 5th  and 7th in the 10000 Meters and  5000 Meters, respectively; Kellie Anderson 6th in the 10000 Meters; Breanna Freestone 7th in the Javelin Throw with a 15 foot improvement on her personal record with a throw of 135’ 10”, which puts her in third place on the all-time list; Laryssa Simpson 7th in the Pole Vault with a jump of 11’ 7.75”, which is the same as her lifetime best; Haley McAllister-Birkeland 7th in the Long Jump with a good jump of 19’ 2”; Chelsey Kaplar 7th in the 400 Meter Hurdles; Mandi Witherspoon 8th in the High Jump with a lifetime best jump of 5’ 5”’; Ashley Patterson 8th in the 400 Meters; and Janett Ern 8th in the 1500 Meters with a new lifetime best time of 4:36.06. Jessica Hampton had a new lifetime best toss of 151’ 1” in the Hammer Throw.      
 
The Utes scored 76 points, which is their highest point total ever, and took fifth place in the team competiton. During the season the team had 76 new personal records, 31 All-time Top 10 performances, 3 school records, 10 Regional Qualifyers and 30 Regional Qualifying marks.   
 
Next up for the Utes is the West Region Championships in Eugene, OR on May 29-30.
 
GO UTES!!!!!!!!