Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
WAC Outdoor Championships
Three Days Down, One to Go at WAC Championships
5/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
May 15, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State put in solid performance on the third of the four-day WAC Outdoor Championships in Logan, Utah, Friday.
With only seven of 20 events scored, both the Bulldog men and women are in great position for a title run.
"It's a dogfight for both the men and women's team championship," said head coach Scott Winsor. "There are big points out there to be had and we have the capacity to get those points. All we have to do is go out there and get them."
Fresno State's men's team holds the No. 3 spot, totaling 38 points after Friday's events. The women earned 26 points over the three days to sit in sixth, just two and a half points back of third.
Tim Greene propelled the Bulldog men foorward in the third day's first event, the hammer throw. The junior set a positive tone for Fresno State, tossing the hammer a career-best 203 feet, 9 inches (62.11 meters) to take second place in the event. Greene improved his PR by more than six feet, exceeding the NCAA Regional qualifying standard with his fifth throw of the day.
"Tim got off to a great start," said Winsor. "He's just determined to improve himself. He got caught up in competing, which is what we're looking for. And what's exciting for Tim is there's even room for him to get better as he goes into the Regional."
The women began the day with the javelin throw as Jacqueline Vazquez and Kayla Xavier each nabbed points in the event. Vazquez threw the javelin 136-8 (41.66m) to earn fifth, while Xavier tossed the lance 123-5 (37.61m) to pick up eighth. The two combined to pick up five points for the women's team.
"Jacqueline got us off to a good start," said Winsor. "Both she and Kayla did a great job scoring some points for us. And every point counts."
DeAnte Brown earned a bronze medal finish in the long jump, battling back from early fouls.
"DeAnte had two fouls in the first two jumps, so he knew he had to get a mark up to get into the final," said Winsor. "His foot on that third jump was at least a foot from the foul board."
Brown rebounded in the finals, marking a 23-11 (7.29m) to tie his career-best set in 2007.
In the meantime, Cara Montes stepped up for the Bulldogs in the pole vault.
Montes, the team leader in the pole vault, cleared 12-1.50 (3.70m) in the event to tie with Idaho's Lindsay Beard for silver.
"Cara got out there and competed today," said Winsor. "She's a Regional qualifier and she's going to break through one of these days. But today she did exactly what we needed her to do and scored some great points for us."
After her point-gaining performance in the javelin, Xavier came through again in the shot put.
Xavier heaved the shot put 46-10.75 (14.29m) to take fourth in the event.
 Kayla Xavier scored points in two separate events for Fresno State on Friday.  | |
"Kayla did a great job of earning points in two events today," said Winsor. "And she has more to go tomorrow."
Greene returned to the throwing ring for the discus later in the afternoon. The junior finished in sixth place in his second event of the day, marking a 161-3 (49.15m).
"Tim got a little tired, but he competed well and scored the points that we needed," said Winsor. "I told the whole team, it's not about the marks, it's about beating people and getting those points." Erica Embry, who earned a point for the team Thursday in the heptathlon, placed sixth in her signature event, the long jump with a mark of 17-11.50 (5.47m).
"Erica came through for the second day," said Winsor. "She really hung in there, placed above her seeding and contributed well for the team again."
As the field events blossomed with success, the Bulldogs took to the track.
The running events opened with preliminary races in 12 events. The `Dogs earned 17 bids to the finals set for Saturday.
Vanessa Sautebin started the women off, qualifying for the finals of the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.14.
In the men's 110 hurdles, Val-Pierre Dai'Re ran a career-best 14.20 to earn a bid to the finals and qualify for the NCAA Regional in the event.
Tiera Hilliard ran a dominant 54.59 for a career-best in the open 400, to win her heat, earn the second spot for the final and qualify for the Regional. Latrisha Jordan also posted a PR in the 55.34 to qualify for the final in the 400. For the men, Darryl Miller and Michael Barragan also grabbed spots in the final of the quarter mile.
In the day's fastest event, the 100, three Bulldogs advanced to the final. Sautebin and Shanelle Stephens qualified for the final for the women, while Dai'Re ran a blazing 10.72 for a lane in the men's final.
Frank Sanders' 800 time of 1:54.06 earned him a spot in the final set for Saturday.
Fresno State dominated the preliminaries of the 400 hurdles, as five Bulldogs qualified for the final. Jordan, who owns the conference's top time, led in her heat, but on one of the final hurdles. Despite, taking a serious tumble, Jordan bounced back up and took off again to earn a spot in the final. Sautebin will join Jordan in the women's final.
In the men's 400 hurdles, Kendrick Young timed a career-best 51.69 to qualify in the top spot and meet the NCAA Regional standard. Myster Holiman and Cody Alves both ran career-bests as well to nab spots in the final of the quarter mile hurdles.
After her stellar 400 race, Hilliard, the defending champion in the 200, ran her way into a finals spot for the 200 with a 24.69. Durran Moore's 21.73 set a season-best and made him the third-best qualifier in the men's 200.
The day's two final events, the men's and women's 10,000 were the only finals for track events for the Bulldogs Friday. The women went first with Marissa McPhail taking fourth place as she clocked a 39:08.05.
"She did a great job of getting in there and hanging tough," said Winsor. "She was with the lead pack until the last two miles. They pulled away from her, but she kept her pace as she ran no man's land, with no one around her. She did a great job and held on to finish in fourth."
Paul Zwama ran a great race for Fresno State in the grueling 10,000 race. Zwama overcame the thinness of the air in the higher altitude in Logan, Utah, to take second.
"He was in the lead pack nearly the entire way, striding alongside the other guy," said Winsor. "With about four laps to go, the top guy pulled away a bit to take the win. Paul ran a great race, especially considering the effect the altitude had on him."
The Bulldogs face 20 finals on the track Saturday and eight on the field. Competition continues on Saturday, the fourth and final day of the conference meet, with the women's hammer throw at 11:30 p.m. PT. The meet will conclude with the 4x400 relay, set to kick off 6:15 p.m. PT.
Players Mentioned
