Thirteen men and four women will represent Weber State in this week’s
NCAA Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Regional Championships in Austin,
Texas. Each event will have up to 48 competitors. After the completion
of the Regional, the top 24 times and/or marks, advance to the 2010 NCAA
Division One Championship June 9-12 in Eugene, Oregon.
MEN Coach Dan Walker has 13
men advancing to the Regional meet. They include: Ryan
Avery (Fr.) Kaysville, UT 4x100
Relay Jonevan DiSimone (Jr.) Saliinas,
CA 110 M Hurdles Eki Faagai
(Sr.) Kanehoe, HI Discus Brett
Hales (Jr.) Ogden, UT
Steeplechase Tyler McBee (Jr.) Beaverton
OR 4x100 Relay/400 Hurdles Jace
Nye (Sr.) Kaysville, UT
Steeplechase Zach Parry (So.) Taylorsville,
UT Hammer Throw Taylor Pebley (Sr.) West
Haven, UT 400 Hurdles Brock Rose
(Sr.) North Ogden, UT 4x100 Relay Ryan
Shelton (So.) Soldotna, AK Shot
Put Steve Shepherd (Sr.) Eden, UT
1,500 Meters Mike Staker (Fr.) Taylorsville,
UT High Jump Chris Struckman
(So.) Portland, OR 4x100 Relay
“Its usually great when you can get five or six athletes
qualified for the NCAA regional meet, but to have 13, including a relay team,
is really a pleasing feeling for me as a coach,” said Walker.
“Now the stakes get higher. The top 24 in each event advance to
nationals next month. It will take some improvement in current marks or times
for our guys to advance, but they’ve proven all year they are up to the
challenge. Most of them had improved marks and times in the Big Sky meet, so it
shows they are still moving upwards.
RYAN AVERY (Fr.-Kaysville, Utah / Davis HS) 4x100
RELAY ...Lead off man for the 4x100 Relay team which won the Big Sky
Conference title with a school and stadium record time of 40.27. ... Had a
season best 10.754 in the 100 meters and 21.98 in the 200 meters.
JONEVAN DiSIMONE (Jr.-Salinas, California) 110 METER
HURDLES ...Transferred to WSU from Monterey Peninsula JC. ... His season,
and personal best time, of 14.18 got him into the NCAA region meet. That is the
3rd fastest time in Weber State history. ... Ran a personal best of 54.53 in
the 400 meter hurdles in the preliims at the Big Sky Conference meet and had a
personal best of 22.48 in the 200 meters.
EKI FAAGAI (Sr.-Kanehoe, Hawai’i)
DISCUS ...Qualified for the NCAA region meet with a throw of 175-06.00 on
April 17 at the Mark Faldmo Invitational in Logan, Utah. That is the third best
mark in WSU men’s outdoor track and field history. ... Placed 2nd at the 2010
Big Sky Conference meet with a toss of 169-00.75. ... Threw a personal best in
the Hammer Throw of 172-00.00, that also came on April 17 at the Mark Faldmo
Invitational.
BRETT HALES (Jr.-Ogden, Utah / Ogden, HS) 3,000 METER
STEEPLECHASE ...Qualified for the NCAA region meet with a career best time of
8:49.67 in the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase on April 15 at the MT. SAC RELAYS. ...
Placed 3rd in the event at the 2010 Big Sky Conference meet with a time of
9:09.12. ... Placed 6th in the 10,000 Meters (31:41.16) and 8th in the 5,000
Meters (15:05.74). Both of those times are personal bests.
TYLER McBEE (Jr.-Beaverton, Oregon) 4x100 Relay / 400 Meter
Hurdles ...Will run the third leg on the 4x100 Relay team which won the 2010
Big Sky Conference title setting a school and stadium record in 40.27. ... The
2010 Big Sky Conference 400 Meter Hurdles champion, his winning time of 51.45 is
a personal best and the 4th best time in WSU men’s outdoor track and field
history. ... Placed 2nd at the 2010 Big Sky Conference meet in the 110 Meter
Hurdles in 14.33. That is his personal best and ties him for the 7th best time
in WSU men’s outdoor track and field history.
JACE NYE (Sr.-Kaysville, Utah / Davis HS) 3,000 METER
STEEPLECHASE ...The 2009 and 2010 Big Sky Conference men’s 3,000 Meter
champion. ... Won this year’s event in a time personal best time of 9:02.66
which is 8:49.75 with the altitude conversion. ... Had a 5th place finish in
the 1,500 meters in the 2010 Big Sky Conference championship, posting a career
best time of 3:54.80 (3:50.14 aa). ... Came back an hour later to place 5th in
the 800 meters in 1:53.86. ... Has the 10th best 800 meters time in WSU
history (1:50.16) which he ran last year as a junior.
ZACH PARRY (So.-Taylorsville, Utah/ Taylorsville HS HAMMER
THROW ...Had a somewhat surprising 3rd place finish in Hammer Throw at the
2010 Big Sky Conference meet. ... His throw of 187-02.00 was a personal best and
is the 5th best toss in WSU school history. ... That throw got him into the
NCAA region meet. ... Had a 6th place finish in the Shot Put at the Conference
meet as well with a personal best toss of 52-05.75, the 10th best mark in WSU
school history.
TAYLOR PEBLEY (Sr.-West Haven, Utah / Fremont HS) 400 METER
HURDLES ...Qualified for the NCAA region meet with a season best of 51.89
which he ran on April 16 at the MT. SAC RELAYS. ... His career best is 51.56
which he ran last year as junior. ... Finished 3rd in the 400 hurdles at the
2010 Big Sky Conference championship with a time of 53.02. ... Had a 2nd place
finish at the Conference meet in the open 400 Meter race, running a career best
time of 46.85 which is the 3rd fastest time in WSU school history. ... Ran the
final leg of the 4x400 Meter Relay team which won the 2010 Big Sky Conference
title in a season best 3:12.06.
BROCK ROSE (Sr.-North Ogden, Utah / Weber HS) 4x100
RELAY ...Ran the anchor leg on the winning 4x100 Relay team at the 2010 Big
Sky Conference championships. ... Team set a new WSU and stadium record with a
time of 40.27. ... Had a 4th place finish in the men’s 200 meters in a time of
21.70. ... Ran a season best 10.75 in the 100 meters and 21.35 in the 200
meters. ... His career best of 21.13 in the 200 meters is the 4th best time in
WSU history.
RYAN SHELTON (So.-Soldotna, Alaska) SHOT PUT ...Qualified
for the NCAA region meet with his performance back on March 6th at the UNLV
Early Bird Meet where he broke a 31-year old school record in Shot Put with a
heave of 55-09.00. ... Transferred to WSU last Fall after one season at Chadron
State. ... Learned to throw the Hammer this Spring and had a season and career
best toss of 174-04.00 on April 17 at the Mark Faldmo Invitational in Logan,
Utah. ... Had a 2nd place finish in the Shot Put at the 2010 Big Sky
Conference championships, hosted by Weber State, with a toss of 55-04.25.
STEVE SHEPHERD (Sr.-Eden, Utah / Weber HS) 1,500
METERS ...Qualified for the NCAA region meet on April 24th at home, with a
time of 3:50.98(3:46.22 altitude adjusted) which is his season best. ... His
lifetime best is 3:46.78 which was posted in 2008 as a sophomore. ... Finished
3rd in the 1,500 meters at the 2010 Big Sky Conference Outdoor championships in
3:53.21. ... Had the team’s best 800 meters time in 2010 (1:51.15 / 1:50.59aa)
on April 17 at the Mark Faldmo Invitational in Logan, Utah. ... Completed his
Master’s degree in Accounting on April 23rd.
MIKE STAKER (Fr.-Taylorsville, Utah / Taylorsville HS HIGH
JUMP ...Qualified for the NCAA region meet with a career best jump of 6-09.75
at the 2010 Big Sky Conference Outdoor meet, finishing in 2nd place.
CHRIS STRUCKMAN (So.-Portland, Oregon) 4x100 RELAY ...Ran
the second leg on the 4x100 Relay team which won the 2010 Big Sky Conference
title in 40.27. ... Team set a new school and WSU stadium record as well. ...
Had a huge meet for the Wildcats with a 2nd place finish in the 100 meters
(10.65), a 2nd place finish in the Long Jump with a career best 23-07.75 and a
4th place finish in the High Jump with a season best 6-07.00.
WOMEN Coach Jim Blaisdell has
four women advancing to the Regional meet. They include: Sarah
Callister (Fr.) Ogden, Utah
10,000 Meters Ally Dean (Sr.) South
Ogden, Utah 400 M Hurdles Tiffany Hellstrom
(Fr.) South Ogden, Utah Javelin Amber
Henry (Fr.) Mountain View, Wyoming 800
Meters
“Of our three qualifiers, three are freshman, so that says a
lot about our recruiting class last season,” said Blaisdell.
“Ally is a veteran, so I would expect her to come out and have a really
great race. It will be a new experience for the other three, but they have
performed like veterans the last couple of weeks so I expect they will each rise
to the occasion and have good performances as well.”
SARAH CALLISTER (Fr.-Ogden, Utah / Ogden HS) 10,000
METERS ...Qualified for the NCAA region meet with a time of 34:37.33 on April
15th at the MT SAC RELAYS. ... She set a WSU Freshman record in the event and
it is the 3rd fastest time in WSU women’s outdoor track and field history. ...
Won both the 10,000 meters (35:57.85) and 5,000 meters (17:32.95) at the 2010
Big Sky Conference Outdoor championships hosted by Weber State. That time also
set a new WSU stadium record as well. ... Her best 5,000 meter time of the
year came on March 26th at the Stanford Invitational. She posted a time of
16:42.18 which is the 5th best time in WSU school history. ...She was named the
2010 BIG SKY CONFERENCE FEMALE TRACK ATHLETE OF THE MEET for her 5,000 / 10,000
double win.
ALLY DEAN (Sr.-South Ogden, Utah / Bonneville HS) 400 METER
HURDLES ...She is the two-time (2009 & 2010) Big Sky Conference outdoor
track and field 400 meter hurdles champion. ... Won this year’s race in 1:00.20
which also qualified her for the NCAA region meet. ... She holds the school
record in the event at 59.49 which was the winning time at the 2009 Big Sky
Conference outdoor championships. .. Ran a personal best of 54.77 in the open
400 meters this season on March 6th at the UNLV Early Bird Meet. That is the 5th
best time in WSU school history. ... Ran a season best 14.65 in the 100 meter
hurdles.
TIFFANY HELLSTROM (Fr.-South Ogden, Utah/Bonneville HS)
JAVELIN ...Threw over 151-00.00 in her first collegiate meet back on
March 6th at the UNLV Early Bird meet, but they missed the next six weeks with
elbow problems. ... Recovered just in time for the Big Sky Conference meet where
she uncorked a throw of 155-06.25 to finish 3rd in the event. That is the 4th
best throw in WSU women’s outdoor track and field history and qualified her for
the NCAA region meet. ... She also had a season best of 130-11.00 in the
Discus.
AMBER HENRY (Fr.-Mountain View, Wyoming) 800
METERS ...Qualified for the NCAA region meet back on March 27th at the
Stanford Invitational where she ran a career best 2:09.09. That is the 7th best
time in WSU women’s outdoor track and field history. ... Had a neck-and-neck
battle with Sacramento State’s Renisha Robinson in the finals of the 800 meter
at the 2010 Big Sky Conference Championships. Robinson, the defending medalist
ran 2:09.14 and Henry was second at 2:10.53. ... She also ran a season best
58.99 in the 400 meters on April 10th at the Utah Invitational.
Courtesy: Weber State