Victories and PR's Plentiful in New Mexico

Five event wins highlighted our weekend at the New Mexico Collegiate Invite.  On Friday it was a trio of 1-2 finished for the Utes.  Cynthia Sanchez and Aoife Hickey getting things started with a 1-2 finish in the weight throw.  Both had lifetime best throws including Sanchez's first toss over the 60 foot barrier.  Another 1-2 finish came in the high jump where fifth year senior Langley Iverson and true freshman Kailey Hansen both cleared 5-4.  Finally, it was Rosalie Waller and Ali Eisenbeiss turning in the top two 600 meter performances separated by only a half second.  Kate Stringfellow was a heat winner as she had a 13 second lifetime best in the 3K.

The throwers kicked things off on Saturday as well with a 1-2-4 finish in the shot put.  Candus Ford had personal best throw of 48-0.  Destanae Howerton Davis (46-10.75) and Cynthia Sanchez (43-9, PR) completed the Utes order.  Senior Amanda Mergaert opened her season with a win, a lifetime best, and #2 all time Utah performance in the 800 (2:07.46).  Pole vaulter Klaudia Rokossa cleared 12-8 to finish in a tie for second place.   Eisenbeiss and Griffin returned in the 400m dash on Saturday to finish 4-5 with lifetime best times (56.57 and 56.88).  Alyssa Johnson was seventh in 57.06.  Sophomore distance runner Susannah Hurst also had a solid day finishing seventh in the mile (5:04) and the 3K (10:05).  Senior Angie Kaplar was also seventh in the 60m hurdles (8.93).

I was pleased with many of our performances.  We won some events and definitely saw a lot of improvement.  Our kids were focused and ready to go for the most part.  After a week of practice that was limited by not having our normal training facility available due to an event conflict I was really impressed by our effort.  This was our first look at a few of our distance runners and for the most part they ran well.  The throwers look in mid season form and the sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers all looked more relaxed and comfortable this week.  We'll be challenging them to reach new heights and compete at an even higher level in the coming weeks.

A big week of practice looms as we return to SLC.  We'll be in Boise next Saturday.

As Real As It Gets!

The Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke in our arena today as part our MLK Jr celebration this week.  Very powerful message from someone who has spent his entire life promoting civil rights and diversity.  His interaction with the crowd was very real and his thoughts profound.  If you get an opportunity to hear him speak I highly suggest you take advantage of it. 

Route 66

After two solid opening meets (throwers at Provo and sprints/hurdles/jumps at Boise) we will head to Albuquerque, NM for our first meet with a full roster of events.  The distance runners will begin their season this weekend by joining the rest of our team for the New Mexico Collegiate meet.

Last weekend in Boise we had one event winner and several other top three finishes.  Senior Cyndi Sanchez won the weight throw on the final throw of the competition.  Sophomore Ali Eisenbeiss was second in the 400 meters.  High jumpers Kailey Hansen and Langley Iverson (returning after redshirting the 2012 season) went 2-3 to highlight some of the efforts.  

Overall, we had a solid opening meet.  We have plenty of room for improvement which is what you hope for at the beginning of the year.  We'll go to New Mexico this weekend and continue to work to get better.  Right now we need races and competitions as much or more than we need practice.  The girls are hungry and excited.  Competition begins on Friday afternoon and continues through Saturday. Be sure to check back for results and pictures.

Our throwers opened the 2013 indoor season in style by winning both throwing events and placing several individuals in the top ten.  I have included Coach Kuusela's full wrap up below for your reading pleasure.  Enjoy!
 

Utah Throwers Dominate at BYU Invitational

Utes claim top three spots in the shot put

Provo, UTAH (TK) -  Competing at the BYU Invitational, the University of Utah women throwers dominated the field on Saturday.

The Utes recorded an impressive performance in the weight throw with six athletes qualifying for the finals. Capturing the event title was senior Anneli Stahl posting a mark of 60-6. Cynthia Sanchez finished third overall with a throw of 55-6.25.

Making her Utah debut was Aoife Hickey finishing in fourth with a throw of  54-6.  Destanae Howerton-Davis (48-11) and freshman Sosina Salima (45-4.5) finished seventh and ninth, respectively for the Utes. Competing unattached was Nikkie Rudder finishing fifth with a mark of 52-5.5.

In the shot put the Utes had five athletes qualify for the finals including three earning the top three spots. Rudder competing unattached, won the event with a mark of 47-10. Candus Ford finished second place with a throw of 46-4.25, followed by Howeton-Davis in third place posting a mark of 46-3.

Returning from a recent arm injury, Alanna Nulph showcased an impressive return, earning fifth place with a throw of 42-1.5.  In her first collegiate meet, Salima finished seventh with a throw of 40-3.5.

Due to poor weather conditions, the Utah sprints, hurdles, jumps and distance athletes did not compete at the Snake River Open, but will head to the Bronco Invitational in Nampa, Idaho on January 19.

 

Let's Get It Started...

Happy New Year!  I know it's been a while since my last post, but we all need some time away during the holidays.  We ended the Fall semester well and have begun the Spring semester on a high note as well.  Besides the first few days of practices and classes being full in energy we also received good news that our team GPA for the Fall semester was well over 3.30.  I also included a picture of the letter we received from The Haven which is a local organization that works closely with groups like the United Way to provide assistance to families and individuals who are in great need.  As part of our community service efforts our team was able to raise some funds in order to provide some toys as Christmas gives to some very deserving young children. 

The throwers (BYU Invite) and the sprinters/hurdlers (Snake River Invite) will open the 2013 indoor season for our team this weekend.  Both groups had excellent Fall training periods and have come back after the holiday break looking good in workouts thus far.  They are excited to compete for the first time and find out where they are at.  The rest of team will not open up until Jan 25-26 at the New Mexico Invite.  This is by design based on their training needs.  Choose your favorite option(s) and be sure to follow us all season long.

Blog
Facebook:  Search University of Utah Track & Field
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/utah_trackfield
Official Athletics Website:  www.utahutes.com