Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
WAC Outdoor Championships
Men Finish Second, Women Third At WAC Outdoor Championships
5/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
May 14, 2005
FRESNO, Calif.- An impressive opening-day challenge for the 2005 WAC Outdoor Championship title proved to be just that for the men's track and field squad.
Fresno State arrived in Tulsa as a consensus darkhorse pick to win its first outdoor title since 1994, as evidenced by some impressive finishes late in the season. The Bulldog's team depth and ability to record points in bunches were critical in a second place finish at the Cal-Nevada Championships and a 4-0 meet sweep at Cal Poly one week later.
That formula worked again on Friday, as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 40-point lead through the opening day of competition. However on Saturday, UTEP came on strong to post 208.50 points and edge Fresno State at 186.50. Rice was third with 122.50 points.
Men - Team Rankings - 21 Events Scored========================================================= 1) UTEP 208.50 2) Fresno State 186.50 3) Rice 122.50 4) Louisiana Tech University 103 5) Boise State University 98.50 6) Tulsa 84
The Bulldog men tallied four first-place finishes on Saturday afternoon, two of which were expected. Senior Chris Berrian, one of the most dominant sprinters in the nation late in the year, won titles in the 100-meters (10.51) and 200-meters (20.78). He has already qualified for NCAA Regionals in both of those events, in addition to the 4x100-meter relay.
Fresno State will now send another relay team to NCAA Regional competition in Eugene, Ore. The 4x400-meter relay squad of Rico Morales, Juan Valdez, Kenny Moon and Ryan Moore captured gold with a time of 3:09.97- two seconds better than their previous mark.
The Bulldog's other first-place effort on the men's side came in the 400-meter hurdles, where sophomore Ryan Moore clocked in at 52.00. Already in the NCAA Regional field, Moore won gold while Valdez took second with a personal-best 52.76.
On the women's side, conference favorite Louisiana Tech was the champion with 184 points. Rice finished second with 159 and Fresno State came in third with 99.50 points, putting the finishing touches on a solid weekend as well.
Like the men's team, the women racked up a 4-0 record at Cal Poly on Apr. 30 but also claimed the title at the Cal-Nevada Championships. The women were poised for a strong showing this weekend and delivered, although Louisiana Tech backed up its season-long success.
Women - Team Rankings - 21 Events Scored========================================================= 1) Louisiana Tech University 184 2) Rice 159 3) Fresno State 99.50 4) University of Nevada 83.50 5) UTEP 82 6) University of Hawaii 69 7) Tulsa 56 8) SMU 51 9) Boise State University 30
Senior Lexine Lesser turned in a show-stopping effort in the pole vault, reaching a personal-best 13-1.50 (4.00m) to dominate the field. Lesser, already an NCAA Regional qualifier, had previously never vaulted higher than 12-11.75. Teammates Annie Malaythong was fourth and Samantha Modeste came in seventh.
Junior Regina Ollison will be heading to NCAA Regionals, earning a spot in the postseason after posting a career-high jump of 40-10.25 (12.45m) in the triple jump. Ollison has led the 'Dogs in the event for most of the year but had yet to break through prior to Saturday, when she finished second.
Andrea Buckner placed third in the 5,000-meter run, crossing the line at a career-best 17:02.28 to take third. Jamie Farley was sixth in the hammer with a personal-best distance of 173-3 (52.81m).
NCAA Regionals are scheduled for May 27-28. Nine men and eight women have already qualified.
2005 WAC Outdoor Championships Awards
WOMEN
Championship High Point: Doria Appleberry, Louisiana Tech, 25 points
Freshman of the Year: Marissa Daniels, Rice
Coach of the Year: Gary Stanley, Louisiana Tech
Outstanding Performer of the Year: Doria Appleberry, Louisiana Tech
MEN
Championship High Point: Mickael Hanany, UTEP, 30 points
Freshman of the Year: Patrick Mutai, UTEP
Coach of the Year: Bob Kitchens, UTEP
Outstanding Performer of the Year: Mickael Hanany, UTEP
Players Mentioned
