at MOUINTAIN STATES GAMES Friday-Saturday, February 5-6,
2010 Holt Arena * Pocatello, Idaho
Weber State’s men and women indoor track and field teams are set to
compete in the annual MOUNTAIN STATES GAMES this coming Friday and Saturday,
February 5-6 inside Holt Arena on the campus of Idaho State University in
Pocatello, Idaho. Teams and individuals from Montana, Idaho, Oregon,
Washington and Utah are expected to be in the field. This is traditionally one
of the largest indoor meets in the intermountain West each year. Trials
in the 60 meters, 60 meter hurdles and 200 meters will be held on Friday, along
with the 5,000 meter run and various field events. The finals in the short
sprints and hurdles will be held on Saturday, along with the rest of the running
and field events.
WSU MEN Wildcat men’s coach, Dan Walker, says his
team is healthy and ready to go. “Everyone in the running events
will be in their strength races this week,” said Walker. “We
will have at least one athlete entered in every event. Right now, we aren’t as
good as we seem to be on paper. We need six to eight of our guys to get at
least 14 qualifying marks this week. But, its a two day meet, so many of them
will have a chance to perform in one event on Friday and one on Saturday and
have some rest in between.” Coming into this week’s meet, the
men have 13 individuals qualified in 18 events. Weber State’s TAYLOR
PEBLEY (Jr.-West Haven, Utah) has the Big Sky’s fastest times this season in 200
Meters (21.78) and 400 Meters (48.26). Both of those marks came last week at
the Bronco Invitational in Nampa, Idaho. The time in the 200 meters ties him
with his brother, Matt, as the 9th fastest indoor 200 in WSU school history. He
also anchored the winning 4x400 Meter Relay time which produced a time of
3:14.61 which is the best time in the Big Sky this season by nearly four
seconds. ANDY HEATON (Jr.-Kanab, Utah) will be in his second Heptathlon
of the season. On January 8-9, he scored 4,817 points at the BYU Open. That is
the 4th best point total in WSU men’s indoor track history and the 5th best
point total in the Big Sky this season.
WSU WOMEN The women, under the direction of
Coach Jim Blaisdell, will be taking 26 athletes to this week’s meet. Three of
them: MICHAELA NORTH (Sr.-Kennewick, Washington), ASHLEY BARTLETT
(Fr.-Grantsville,Utah) and AMYLYN SCHMIDT (Fr.-Salt Lake City, Utah) will be
competing in the Pentathlon on Friday and Saturday. At the BYU Open back
on January 8-9, North scored a career high 3,217 points. That is the 8th best
point total in WSU women’s indoor track&field and the 4th best point total
in the Big Sky this season. “This is always a big meet for
us,” said Blaisdell. “The two-day format simulates our
conference meet schedule and gets our athletes used to performing in multiple
events in a 24 hour period. We have at least six athletes who have been close
to qualifying in the last two weeks, so I expect this will be the week they
break through.” The women have 14 athletes qualified for the
Big Sky Conference Indoor championship in 22 events. WSU’s ALLY DEAN
(Sr.-South Ogden, Utah) currently has the Big Sky’s best time in the 400 Meters
at 56.52. That was the winning time in last week’s Bronco Invitational.
Teammate CAMILLE LOTT (Jr.-Kaysville, Utah) was second in 57.66. SARAH
CALLISTER (Fr.-Ogden, Utah) continues to have the best 3,000 Meter time in the
Big Sky in an altitude adjusted 9:55.47. She ran a career best in the Mile Run
last week at the Bronco Invitational finishing 4th in 4:58.30, just behind
teammate NATALIE HAWS (So.-Kaysville, Utah) who was 3rd in 4:58.29. Both
athletes will be running in the 5,000 Meters this week. The 4x400 Meter
Relay team won the Bronco Invitational in a time of 3:46.24 which is the best
time in the Big Sky this season by a full six seconds.
Courtesy: Weber State