Shanklin, Korir earn NCAA bids

From left, Jake Shanklin and Mark Korir

NORMAN, Okla. – The season continues for Wyoming seniors Jake Shanklin and Mark Korir.

Seniors Jake Shanklin and Mark Korir highlighted the NCAA Midwest Regional on Saturday for the Cowboys, qualifying for the NCAA championships on June 10 in Fayetteville, Ark.

Shanklin’s final toss of 219-feet, 1 inch in the hammer throw was good for second place behind Dimitrios Fylladitakis of Texas-El Paso, who won the even at 220-8. Korir ran his personal best time of 8 minutes, 54.21 seco nds to place fifth in the steeplechase. The time was also the sixth best all-time in UW history.

“Jake competed great today in the hot and muggy Norman, Okla., but today made for a perfect stepping stone and preparation for nationals,” said assistant coach Paul Barrett.

“Mark really hung in there and he has been one of the best competitors I have ever seen in the 12 years I have been coaching,” said head coach Don Yentes. “I am very happy that both of these guys will have the opportunity to finish their careers at the NCAA Championships.”

Also for the Cowboys, freshman Joe Plante competed in the discus throw and finished eighth with his throw of 178-2, just 22 inches short of qualifying for the national meet in his first year. Sophomore Jeremiah James finished 13th in the triple jump with his leap of 50-4.5, in the most talented region in the nation. Along with Shanklin, junior Sam Lambert finished the hammer throw in 20th-place with his throw of 178-2.

Junior Emily Higgins competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the Cowgirls and finished 10th with a time of 10:35.79. The Cowgirls 4x400-meter relay team, comprised of freshman Lindsey Simmons, junior Erica Anderson, sophomore Afiya Walker and senior Sharon Larrier placed ninth in 3:42.21.

Junior Johnna Jeffries competed in the high jump and failed to record a height with the bar starting at 5-7, just an inch lower than her personal best.

“I am really proud of the way that everyone competed this weekend and hopefully we can all build from the experience we had here,” said Yentes.

Cowgirls have tough day at regionals

NORMAN, Okla. – Four Cowgirls failed to qualify for an opportunity to run in Saturday's finals at the NCAA Midwest Regional Track and Field Championships.

Senior Shaylee Babbitt and junior Jennifer Schmitz ran in the 100-meter hurdles prelims on Friday. Babbitt clipped the fourth hurdle which hindered her strong start and possible qualifying time. Babbitt ran a time of 14.28 seconds and finished in 20th-place, while Schmitz ran a time of 14.23 and finished 19th.

“Shaylee has had a tremendous career as a Cowgirl and has really made a remarkable improvement since stepping foot on the University of Wyoming campus,” said head coach Don Yentes.

Senior Sharon Larrier and sophomore Afiya Walker both ran in the 400-meter dash and like Babbitt and Schmitz, didn't qualify for the finals. Larrier ran a time of 54.69, while Walker had a time of 55.15 finishing them in 13th and 16th respectively.

Saturday will be the final day of competition as seniors Jake Shanklin and Sam Lambert will start off the day for the ‘Pokes in the hammer throw, beginning at 10 a.m. (MT).

Waller named new UW head trainer

New UW trainer Bob Waller

University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman announced on Friday that Bob Waller has been hired as head athletics trainer for Wyoming athletics. Waller comes to Wyoming from the University of New Mexico, where he was the associate athletics trainer for the Lobo football program since 2003.


“We are very excited to have Bob (Waller) join the Wyoming athletics department as the supervisor of our athletic-training staff,” said Burman. “He came highly recommended, and brings with him many years of experience in both college and professional athletics.


“Injury prevention and rehabilitation are critical to the well being of our student-athletes. We feel Bob is an individual who can do an outstanding job of serving the needs of our student-athletes. He will be a great asset to our department.”

At Wyoming, Waller will be the trainer for the Cowboy football team and will oversee the athletic-training unit.

“I would like to thank everyone who has helped me to become the next head athletic trainer at the University of Wyoming,” said Waller. “This is a great opportunity, and is a goal that I’ve been striving for in my professional career. I’m excited and looking forward to becoming a part of the Wyoming family.”

In addition to serving as the associate athletics trainer at New Mexico from 2003 to the present, Waller spent four summers, from 2002-2005, working in NFL Europe. He was an assistant athletics trainer for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe in 2002. During the summer of 2003, he was hired as the head trainer for the Barcelona Dragons. In the summer 2004, Waller was head athletics trainer for the Scottish Claymores, and his final year in NFL Europe he was the head trainer for the Hamburg Sea Devils.

He has served internships with ESPN’s X-Games and with the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. Waller also has worked with the Justin Sports Medicine Team at rodeo events since 1999.

Waller holds a certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a corrective exercise specialist. He has been certified by the National Athletic Trainers Board of Certification, and has completed his American Heart Association Basic Life Support Certification.

Waller has been an accredited clinical instructor at the University of New Mexico since 2003, teaching among other things therapeutic modality, therapeutic rehabilitation exercises and athletic training mock/muscle testing.

A former college baseball player at California State University Chico, Waller earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from Chico State in 1995. He then completed a second bachelor’s degree in athletic training from New Mexico in 2001, and received his master’s degree in sports administration from UNM in 2004.

After graduating from Chico State in ‘95 and prior to pursuing his studies at New Mexico, Waller worked at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic clinic in Los Angeles as a research assistant from 1995-98.

Waller and his wife Addie have a two-month old daughter, Harlee.

He replaces Robb Williams, who resigned as Wyoming’s head athletics trainer earlier this spring. Williams served as Wyoming’s head athletics trainer since 2003.

UW set for regional track meet

The University of Wyoming track and field teams will compete at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet Friday and Saturday in Norman, Okla. The meet will be held at the John Jacobs Track and Field Complex on the campus of the University of Oklahoma.

Over 800 athletes from 40 different Midwest programs will compete for a spot in the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The top five individuals in each event and the top three relay teams will all qualify. The regional meet will showcase 15 of the nation’s top 25 teams, along with 15 athletes that are ranked No. 1 nationally in their respective events.

“We are really excited to have the opportunity to have so many athletes compete and represent the University of Wyoming,” UW head coach Don Yentes said. “Every person in our group has the ability to move on. Some of the older athletes that know what to expect from this meet will have an edge on those that are here for the first time.”

Leading the charge for the Cowboys will be senior All-American Jake Shanklin who is third in the region and 10th in the nation in the hammer throw event. Sophomore Jeremiah James qualified in both the long jump and triple jump, but will only compete in the triple jump to increase his chances on moving on to the NCAA Championships. James is currently ranked 13th in the region in the triple jump and will take to the runway on Saturday at 4 p.m. (MT).

Along with Shanklin and James, senior Mark Korir (3,000-meter steeplechase), senior Sam Lambert (hammer throw) and freshman Joe Plante (discus throw) will compete.

As for the Cowgirls, senior Shaylee Babbitt heads into the 100-meter hurdles with the 10th best time in the region and will look to qualify for the finals Friday at 3:40 p.m. (MT). Junior Emily Higgins, who is coming off her first ever Mountain West Conference Championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, qualified in both the steeple and the 1,500-meter run. Higgins will run in the challenging 3,000-meter steeplechase on Saturday at 6:15 p.m. (MT).

Also competing for the Cowgirls will be senior Sharon Larrier (400-meter), sophomore Afiya Walker (400-meter), junior Jennifer Schmitz (100-meter hurdles), junior Johnna Jeffries (high jump) and the 4x400-meter relay team that is made up of junior Erica Anderson, freshman Lindsey Simmons, Larrier and Walker.

“As long as we continue to do what we did to get here, this should be a very successful weekend,” said Yentes. “Generally speaking, we have an advantage when we come down to sea level and compete, so all we can do is put them out there and let them compete.”

Yentes also announced that despite qualifying for the regional meet, Eliud Chirchir and Philemon Kimutai will not be participating in the meet.

The two-day event kicks off Friday at 11 a.m. (MT) with the women’s hammer throw. Running events begin at 3:30 p.m. (MT) with the women’s 4x100-meter relay. Saturday’s action also begins at 11 a.m. (MT) with the men’s hammer throw as action on the track starts at 5 p.m. (MT) with the finals of the women’s 4x100-meter relay.

Three UW wrestlers at World Championships

Three University of Wyoming wrestlers, who are each coming off of successful redshirt freshman seasons in college, have qualified to compete for an opportunity to represent the United States in their respective age groups at the World Championships later this year.

UW’s Tyler Davis and Joe LeBlanc will wrestle this weekend at the FILA Junior World Team Trials, while Michael Martinez will participate in two weeks at the Senior World Team Trials.

Each Wyoming wrestler qualified for their slot in the World Team Trials through different means: Davis by placing second at the FILA Junior National Tournament last month, LeBlanc by his All-America finish at last season’s NCAA Tournament and Martinez by his fourth place finish at the U.S. Senior Nationals in April.

Davis and LeBlanc will travel to the FILA Junior Freestyle World Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo., at the Olympic Training Center on Saturday. Division champions go to the FILA Junior World Championships representing the U.S. in Ankara, Turkey, Aug. 4-9.

For Martinez, the U.S. Senior Freestyle World Team Trials will take place in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on May 31. The winner in each weight class represents the U.S. at the World Championships in Herning, Denmark, Sept. 21-27.

All three Cowboy wrestlers will be sophomores at UW during the upcoming 2009-10 season, but since Martinez is older than Davis and LeBlanc, he competes at the senior level.

Davis (Oviedo, Fla.) wrestled for the Cowboys at 157 pounds this past season and posted a record of 21-16. He had two dual wins for the ‘Pokes, scored three victories by fall and had eight major decisions.

LeBlanc (Meeker, Colo.) became the first-ever freshman All-American in the history of Wyoming wrestling by placing fifth in the 184-pound weight class at the 2009 NCAA Championships. He won the West Regional title at his weight and posted a 45-8 overall season record. His 45 wins tied for third-place on UW’s single-season victories list. LeBlanc was the WWC Freshman of the Year and West Region Freshman of the Year by D1CollegeWrestling.net.

Martinez (Pagosa Springs, Colo.) was an NCAA qualifier at 125 pounds and West Regional champion. He finished his season with a record of 38-11, 1-2 at the NCAA Championships. That mark ties him for ninth all-time at UW in single season wins. Martinez won three tournaments during the season.

UW's Lyons named to NATA Hall of Fame

Bill Lyons, athletic training curriculum director at the University of Wyoming, has been honored by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), by being inducted to the NATA Hall of Fame.

"It is a special honor to be recognized at the highest level," said Lyons. "It is a unique award and its nice to be recognized by my peers."

Before becoming the director of the Athletic Training Education Program at UW, Lyons was the head athletic trainer from 1983 to 2001. He now teaches and administrates the CAATE Athletic Training Curriculum Program. He received his b.s. degree in health physical education and recreation from the University of Wyoming in 1973, and then completed his NATA-BOC certification in 1974.

"In the practice of athletic training the greatest thing to see is an injured athlete be able to return to the field of play. In the classroom, I take great pride at graduation when I see a group of seniors walk across and receive their diplomas," Lyons said.

Professionally, Lyons has been very active within the state, regional and national athletic trainer associations. He has served on the National Athletic Training Board of Directors, President and Secretary of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Trainers Association Inc., and President of the Wyoming Athletic Trainers Association. Lyons was named 2006 Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer at the NATA convention, and is also a member of the RMATA Hall of Fame.

Lyons is one of five trainers joining the 2009 class. Lyons joins former Wyoming trainer Jack Aggers, who was inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame in 1983.

Coaches pleased with effort at MWC

Richard Anderson photos
Wyoming's Sharon Larrier, center, competes in the prelims of the 400-meter dash Saturday at the Mountain West Conference Championships. At bottom left, Sam Lambert uncorks a throw in the shot put.
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By Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org
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Spring finally showed up for the most beautiful of conditions to cap off the final day Saturday of the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

On a calm sunny day with a slight breeze, the 10th annual MWC Outdoor Track and Field Championships came to a close with Brigham Young taking home the title on both the men’s and women’s side.

Brigham Young senior All-American Kyle Perry won the High Point award with 21.25 points, while his coach, Mark Robison, took home the MWC Coach of the Year honors.

“I am very pleased,” said Robison, courtesy of BYUCougars.com. “We had some great performances and several conference champions. We have a great team and now we get to prepare for the next two weeks and get ready to do our best at regional’s.”

Brigham Young women’s coach Craig Poole won the MWC Coach of the Year award in guiding his 10th ranked Cougars to the conference championship.

“I’m very pleased with our teams’ performance,” Poole said. “It was certainly a team effort if you look at how we scored and everybody scored in an event across the board. I don’t think there was an event that we did not score in and so we are very pleased with that.”

This was the first time that the University of Wyoming hosted a track and field conference championship since 1968.

“The championship Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day for us,” MWC Outdoor Track and Field Championship Coordinator Chelsea Guetz said. “We’ve had a couple of championship records broken today, which is very exciting. I think for the most part, we’ve experienced some great competition and we’ve really received a great deal of help from the Wyoming staff; they’ve been most hospitable for us.”

The process of an annual MWC host site is determined by rotation.

“One year we’ll go to altitude and one year we’ll go to sea level until you’re (school) is in the rotation again,” Guetz said. “It’s not a bid process, as long as you have the facility, you’re in the rotation; so they (Wyoming) should host again in the future.”

Wyoming coach Don Yentes said it will be nine years until UW is eligible to host the MWC Outdoor Track and Field Championships again, but it was well worth hosting this year.

“I’m pleased with the administration and all the work and effort to make this a top-notch meet,” Yentes said. “The (Laramie) chamber of commerce helped us out a little bit and it was just a full participation from everybody. I’m very pleased.”

Yentes was also pleased with his team’s overall effort throughout the meet.

“We had a lot of very good efforts,” Yentes said. “We got a couple more kids who qualified (for regional’s) -- Shaylee Babbitt and Jennifer Schmitz in the hurdles --, and all the 4x400 women qualified.”

“We’re a very small team here compared to the rest of the (MWC) schools and we just had a few mental errors, a few kids who just didn’t get it done, and for us to be real successful we have to have 100 percent getting it done. But I’m very pleased with their efforts.”

There is a lot of anticipation heading into next season with many of the same faces returning for Wyoming.

“We have a very young team and we had a really good recruiting class and we’re not quite done yet (recruiting),” Yentes said. “I think we’re going to have some good things happen and two weeks from now we got regional’s and I can’t wait to get down there (Norman, Okla.), and maybe we can get some kids down to nationals.”

Although Wyoming finished last on the men’s and women’s side of the MWC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, there is still a lot to be positive about.

“Here we finished last and this is the biggest group that we’ve ever qualified for the NCAA Regional’s,” Yentes said. “So, we’re really pleased.”

“Today was gorgeous, you can’t ask for any better track weather than today,” Poole said. “The thing (meet) went great, great facilities, great day, the only thing I’m sad about is if they had time to do the sprints. I think that’s a travesty, because they’re as legitimate as any race.”

The next event for Wyoming will be the NCAA Regional Championships in Norman, Okla., on May 29-30.

Jeffries, Babbitt earn runnerup finishes

UW photo (top)/Richard Anderson photo (bottom left)
At top, Wyoming senior Johnna Jeffries competes in the high jump Saturday at the Mountain West Conference Championships. At bottom left, senior Lindsey Fuller competes in the triple jump.

Saturday's results

By Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

Johnna Jeffries and Britney Jackson took second and fourth in the women’s high jump, while Shaylee Babbitt and Jennifer Schmitz took second and seventh in the 100-meter hurdles for the Cowgirls on the final day of the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

Each Cowgirl mentioned above qualified for the Regional Championships in Norman, Okla., on May 29-30, for their respective efforts.

The high jump saw Jeffries, a senior, and Jackson, a sophomore, both finish at 5-feet, 7 inches.

“It feels good. I felt a little bit of pressure going into it,” Jeffries said. “I’ve jumped 5-8, 3/4, which is a regional qualifier. I felt like I should do that again, just fell a little short today, but I was pretty happy with where I came out.”

The senior will now prepare for the regional championships.

“I will definitely take that momentum and work on my timing during these next two weeks and stay focused,” Jeffries said. “I’m definitely going to take that momentum into regional’s and try and even go bigger. That’s the goal.”

Babbitt came up a little short of defending her 100-meter hurdle title, but finished second to the 2007 champion, Kishelle Paul of Texas Christian. Although Babbitt came in second, the senior set a personal record with a time of 13.52 seconds. She will now prepare for the regional championships.

The seventh-place slot went to Schmitz with a time of 13.84, which is also a personal record. The junior will be competing in the regional championships.

Afiya Walker and Sharon Larrier finished fifth and sixth in the 400-meter dash with times of 54.02 and 54.31, respectively. The sophomore and senior will both participate in the regional championships.

Senior Lindsey Fuller ended her career with an 11th-place finish in the triple jump, leaping 37-8.

Wyoming finished both fourth in the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays with times of 46.27 and 3:38.98. Their effort in the 4x400-meter relay qualified junior Erica Anderson, freshman Lindsey Simmons, Walker, and Larrier to represent Wyoming in the regional championships.

At the end of the day, it was the Brigham Young women taking home its eighth MWC title all-time with 214 points. Texas Christian totaled 139 points for second place, followed by New Mexico (135), Air Force (124), defending champion Colorado State (110), and Wyoming (84).

One jump and a win again for James

Richard Anderson photo
Wyoming senior Mark Korir, far left, competes in the 5,000-meter run on Saturday at the Mountain West Conference Championships. Korir finished in fifth place. At bottom left is sophomore jumper Jeremiah James.

Saturday's results

By Rob Ketcham
Wyoming Sports.org

It was déjà vu all over again for Wyoming sophomore Jeremiah James.

Just like Friday’s winning performance in the long jump, all it took was one attempt for James to take home the championship in the men’s triple jump Saturday at the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

James reached a distance of 50-feet, 9 ¼ inches (15.27 meters) in his one and only jump, a personal record, which turned out to be one foot and four inches farther than Colorado State University’s Nnamdi Agwu’s second-place finish. The first- and second-place interval was identical to the one James achieved Friday on his way to the MWC long jump championship.

While he was happy with the event victory and the fact that his distance qualified him for regional competition in two weeks, James wasn’t entirely happy with his final distance.

“It was a good day,” he said. “I mean, I was trying to go for 15.80 meters, but that didn’t quite happen. I was just hoping to do a lot better and jump further at least, but hopefully in my next meet, I’ll make it to 15.80 and see if I can make it to nationals.”

On a more positive note, UW assistant coach Quincy Howe said: “He had a great performance today. I thought he executed quite well by sealing up the victory on his first jump.”

After racking up two MWC championships in two days, James said early Saturday afternoon that he was happy to be done competing for the weekend.

“It feels very good and a lot of pressure is relieved,” he said. “It’s just nice to done, relax and watch the rest of the meet to see how everything turns out.”

With the MWC meet over, James’ focus will now turn to regional competition in two weeks.

“If we can get him healthy in the next two weeks, he should be able to jump even better,” Howe said. “It’s going to be a big competition and all the best jumpers in our region will be there. He always rises to the occasion, so as long as he does that, he should be able to move on to nationals.”

Despite James' contributions to the Cowboys overall points, the Wyoming men finished the MWC championships in last place with 84 points. Brigham Young University took home the overall men’s championship with a whopping 214 points.

Other notable Cowboy performers Saturday were junior John Alderson, who finished fourth in the triple jump, sophomore Philemon Kimutai, who finished fourth in the 1,500-meter run, and senior Mark Korir, who took fifth in the 5,000-meter run.

Cowgirls up and down going into finals

Richard Anderson photo

From left, Wyoming's Jennifer Schmitz and Shaylee Babbitt compete in the prelims of the 100-meter hurdles on Friday in the Mountain West Conference Championships. Both qalified for Saturday's finals.

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Women's team results
MWC Day 3 results

By Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

At the conclusion of the third day of the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Wyoming Cowgirls have had some highs and lows and currently sit in eighth place.

Among the highs was junior Emily Higgins winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase championship with a time of 11 minutes, 5.88 seconds, which qualified her for the Regional Championships in Norman, Okla., on May 29-30.

Sharon Larrier won the second preliminary heat in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.22, which also qualified her for regional’s. The senior currently sits atop the preliminary standings.

“Today’s performance was solid. Everything that happened today looks good for tomorrow,” Larrier said. “I think everybody is looking to hit a high mark tomorrow.”

Sophomore Afiya Walker finished fifth in the 400-meter dash preliminaries with a time of 55.10, which is a personal record and qualified her for Saturday’s finals.

Defending champion Shaylee Babbitt sits in third after the 100-meter hurdle preliminaries. The senior scored a time of 13.73, which qualified her for regional’s. Babbitt will compete in Saturday’s finals.

“Everybody is really good,” Babbitt said. “Some had personal bests and made it to the finals. It’s already been better than indoors (finals), which is what Coach (Quincy Howe) wanted in the first place, so we’ll just keep trucking along and keep doing what we’re doing.”

Junior Jennifer Schmitz set a personal record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.93, which qualified her for the finals. She currently sits in sixth place of the preliminaries.

Senior Lindsey Fuller placed 11th in the long jump with a leap of 17-feet, 1 ½ feet.

Sophomore Emily Byra finished ninth in the 10,000-meter run, followed by freshman and sophomore teammates Maya Martinez (15th), and Alysha Davis (did not finish).

Sophomore Amanda Aimone, and freshman Kaylee Beddes each finished the discus throw finals at 17th and 21st with tosses of 135-9 and 127-9, respectively.

Those who did not qualify for their respective events were freshmen Kelly Gray, Elisa Etchemendy, Chantel Bernabo, junior Andrea Frary, and seniors Joi Smith, and Jenelle Garber.

After seven events, Brigham Young leads the pack with 64 points, followed by Colorado State (53), New Mexico (34.5), Utah (34), Air Force (25), San Diego State (24.5), Texas Christian (20), Wyoming (10), and Nevada-Las Vegas (5).
　

Higgins wins first steeplechase title

UW photo

Wyoming junior Emily Higgins won the steeplechase Friday at the Mountain West Conference Championships.

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by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

Wyoming junior Emily Higgins ran nearly 12 miles in about a 40-minute span for one of the most eventful days of her career.

Higgins won the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase title on the third day of the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

Higgins won the event with a time of 11 minutes, 5.88 seconds, which qualified her for the Regional Championships in Norman, Okla., on May 29-30.

After embracing her victory, she then competed in the 1,500-meter preliminary race almost 20 minutes later to take fifth in her heat with a time of 5:08.13. She missed qualifying for the finals in the 1,500 by two seconds.

Coming into the MWC meet, Higgins was ranked second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and fourth in the 1,500-meter run. Although her place in the 1,500-meter run was less than expected and her time did not meet her personal best, it was still a very good day.

“It’s really sweet. Especially to be able to do this at home,” Higgins said. “To have conference here I really feel like I’m peaking at the right time and that’s thanks to Coach (Randy) Cole and the training.”

To be able to run both events in a short time span was difficult for Higgins, but she was ready for the challenge.

“It was interesting,” Higgins said. “It definitely was a challenge, but I feel like that Coach (Cole) has trained us really well. To be able to train at this altitude has really helped us out.”

Cole said that Higgins persuaded him to give her a shot at the steeplechase.

“I knew she was very good at the 3,000-meter run, but I didn’t know she was this good at it,” Cole said. “She is a very athletic girl who really showed her fitness level by turning around and almost qualifying in the 1,500. I really didn’t want to push her that much and have her run it but she told me she would give it a shot.”

With the victory, the Cowgirls hope to carry momentum into the final day of the championships.

"We’ve had some really good performances,” Higgins said. “I know we’ve had some regional qualifiers. It’s exciting, we have some great athletes.”

This is the first time the 3,000-meter steeplechase was run during the MWC Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the women’s side. Higgins becomes the first 3,000-meter steeplechase outdoor champion in Wyoming and MWC history

James strikes early, wins long jump

Richard Anderson photos
At top, Wyoming's Jeremiah James shows his winning form in the long jump in the Mountain West Conference Championships on Friday. At bottom, Jake Shanklin finished second in the hammer throw.
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Men's Team Results

MWC Day 3 results

By Rob Ketcham
Wyoming Sports.org

All it took was one attempt for Wyoming sophomore Jeremiah James to claim victory in the men’s long jump Friday at the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

With an astounding leap of 24-feet, 10 inches, James not only accomplished a new personal record, but he also broke the track record of 24-1, which he had set last year.

“I didn’t think I would do so well so quick,” James said. “I thought I would get my best jump on my third or fourth attempt, but I’m definitely happy that I got it on my first one. It relieved some of the pressure on me and put it on the other guys.”

In addition to becoming the MWC’s men’s long jump champion, James surpassed the 24-foot mark, qualifying him for regional competition in two weeks. For the next competition, he said he will shoot for fifth place so he can move on to compete at the Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in early June.

Although he can celebrate the long jump victory on Friday, James must stay focused for the triple jump competition Saturday afternoon at 12:30 p.m.

While James was the clear favorite to win the long jump, Wyoming senior Jake Shanklin was also the heavy favorite to take home the MWC title in the men’s hammer throw.

Yet, he was upset by Colorado State University’s Alex Godell. Shanklin’s distance of 219-8 fell just inches short to Godell’s 221 feet. The victory was Godell’s third-consecutive MWC outdoor hammer throw championship.

Even though he was clearly disappointed with the second-place finish, Shanklin found a way to remain positive. He said, “I guess today just wasn’t my day, but I still have three more meets, so I’ll just focus on them and use today’s performance as a building block.”

As a senior, Shanklin said he couldn’t have been happier to compete at home for his final MWC Championship.

“I had a lot of friends and family come out,” he said. “It turned out to be a very good competition in the hammer, which was a surprise, but it was still really nice. It got the crowd into it and was great publicity for the event.”

Despite being done for the weekend, Shanklin has already qualified for the regional competition, the Division I Championships and the US Championships in late June.

With the help of James and Shanklin, the Wyoming men’s team found itself in third place overall with 41.5 points going into the final day of the competition Saturday. The Cowboys trail only New Mexico with 43 points and Brigham Young University with 75.5.

Other notable Cowboy performers Friday were freshman Joe Plante, who finished third in the discus, and senior Mark Korir, who took fourth in the 3000-meter steeplechase.

Petsch finishes in fourth place

Richard Anderson photo
Wyoming junior Jay Petsch competes in the javelin for the decathlon on Thursday.

Decathlon final results

MWC team scores

By Bobby Abplanalp
Special to Wyoming Sports.org

The highs and lows of the decathlon hit Cowboy junior Jay Petsch on Thursday like the Wyoming wind.

After leading the decathlon after the first five events, Petsch slipped to a final fourth-place finish in the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

Petsch finished the decathlon with 6,453 points.

“Today I thought was a failure,” Petsch said. “I just gave too many points away and I didn’t come close to any of my PRs (personal records) in anything, which is really disappointing.”

Skylar Morgan of Air Force won the event with 6,750 points, followed by teammate Noah Palicia (6,642), Brett Birkeland of Brigham Young (6,456), Petsch (6,453), Meelis Kosk of Brigham Young (6,189) and Brian Wilson of New Mexico (6,186).

On the day, Petsch finished third in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.76 seconds, fifth in the discus throw at 104-feet, 11 inches, third in the pole vault at 13-3 1/2, fifth in the javelin throw at 135-4 and last in the 1,500-meter run in 5:37.55.

“I think today went according to plan up until the very last event,” UW assistant coach Quincy Howe said. “We were way short on the last event. He (Petsch) fell a couple places and we projected him to be second place, so that was a little disappointing. But his total was about 300 more points than what he did last year, so he did better.”

“I’m not a distance runner,” Petsch said. “I struggled through that one (1,500-meter). I didn’t have anything left; I tried, but I just couldn’t.”

Petsch will also compete in the open long jump on Friday and the 4x400-meter relay on Saturday.

Petsch is looking forward to the 4x400-meter relay.

“I just like that whole team aspect of it. I think it’s really fun,” he said.

The weather was much like in day one with the sun shining and the blowing, although not as cool as on Wednesday.

“The pole vault was difficult with the wind,” Petsch said. “I heard it from everybody today. It made you run all weird and you didn’t know where to put the standards at, and it just threw everything off, which was a big problem with everybody in the pole vault today overall.”

Jackson struggles; prepares for rest of meet

UW sophomore Britney Jackson

Heptathlon final results

MWC team scores

By Rob Ketcham
Special to Wyoming Sports.org

Different day, same results for Wyoming sophomore Britney Jackson.

After finishing the first segment in last place on Wednesday, Jackson stayed put in the standings with the conclusion of the heptathlon at the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships Thursday at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

In the first event of the day, the long jump, Jackson pulled off a distance of 17-feet, 1 inch, taking fifth overall. While the distance was Jackson’s personal record, her third of the competition, none of the athletes were able to keep up with Brigham Young University’s junior phenom Amy Menlove, who dominated the event with a jump of 20-5.

Hoping to take the momentum from the long jump into her two least favorite events, Jackson’s overall struggles continued in both the javelin throw and 800-meter run. After tying for eighth in the javelin, it was apparent that Jackson purposely didn’t give her full effort in the seventh event and final event of the heptathlon.

“At the end of the day today, we made the conscious decision to not put everything into the 800 because she still has an event later on in the week,” UW assistant coach Quincy Howe said. “We kind of sacrificed today’s performance for the betterment of her high jump on Saturday.”

By the time all was said and done, Menlove took the heptathlon championship with 5,325 points, over 2,000 more than Jackson’s 3,235.

With this year’s heptathlon season complete, Howe said the offseason will be used to focus on Jackson’s throws, specifically in the shot put and javelin events. On the other hand, Jackson said she also feels she needs to work on long distance running and conditioning.

Howe said, “Next year, I believe Britney can get to 4,700 points in the heptathlon, which will probably be top six in the conference."

Although the heptathlon is complete, Jackson will still compete in the women’s high jump. The event will take place at noon on Saturday.

“I’m really going to try and make the regional mark in the event and just jump as high as I can,” she said.

Petsch leads MWC decathlon

Richard Anderson photo
Wyoming junior Jay Petsch competes in the long jump (decathlon) on Wednesday during the Mountain West Conference Championships at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

MWC decathlon results

By Bobby Abplanalp
Special to Wyoming Sports.org

A solid overall performance has Wyoming junior Jay Petsch leading the decathlon after day one of the Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships Wednesday at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

Petsch finished with 3,671 points after the first five events, with BYU’s Meelis Kosk right behind him with 3,589 points.

Petsch, who was seventh in last year’s event and is competing in his first decathlon this season, was first in the 100-meter dash in 11.00 seconds, second in the long jump at 22-feet, 2 1/4 inches, second in the shot put at 36-0, second in the high jump at 6-1 1/4 and first in the 400-meter dash in 50.04.

“Jay was very good. Our performance today will spur the home crowd and the rest of the team to do a good job later on in the week,” UW assistant coach Quincy Howe said.

It was a typical spring day in Laramie, with the sun shining and a cool wind howling, but the UW athletes are used to adverse weather conditions.

“The wind was a factor, but we coach our athletes to persevere through those elements, so we should be okay,” Howe said.

The men’s 400-meter dash was the final event of the day, with Petsch coming from behind to take the win.

“The 400 (meter) is my favorite race. It’s just an all-out race with everything you got,” Petsch said. “I’m a little winded after all the high jumping that I did today, so my legs weren’t underneath me. But I just ran as hard as a can and I won that race.”

The high jump is something Petsch has struggled with recently. The junior was pleased with his high jump efforts and his overall performance.

“Yeah, I’m really happy,” Petsch said. “This is the first time in the last couple months that I really gotten over six feet, so I’ve been really happy with it.”

“I’m really pleased with the shot put, but the long jump I could have done a little better, but with everything I’ve done I’m really pleased.”

Petsch will begin the second half of the decathlon on Thursday (12:30 p.m.) with the 110-meter hurdles, followed by the discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and the 1,500-meter run.

There are a few events that Petsch looks forward to and one in particular that he isn’t crazy about.

“The 110 hurdles is my specialty race. The javelin, I’ve actually been throwing it straight this year,” Petsch said. “I’m not looking forward to the 1,500, it’s too long.”
　

Jackson has up and down opening day at MWC heptathlon

Richard Anderson photo
Wyoming sophomore Britney Jackson clears the bar in the high jump during heptathlon competition in the Mountain West Conference championships Wednesday at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

MWC heptathlon results

By Rob Ketcham
Special to Wyoming Sports.org

While finishing the first segment of the heptathlon competition in last place Wednesday at the 2009 Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships wasn’t exactly on Wyoming sophomore Britney Jackson’s list of goals, two personal records and an event victory were enough to keep her positive going into Thursday’s final three events.

Kicking off the first day of competition with the women’s heptathlon (seven events) and the men’s decathlon (10 events), UW played host to its first track and field conference championship in 41 years at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

Jackson’s overall woes began with the 100-meter hurdles, as she tripped on the sixth hurdle before violently tumbling into the next one as well. Although she got up and finished the race, the last-place finish put her nearly 1,000 points behind Brigham Young University’s junior phenom Amy Menlove right out of the gates.

Because of the fall, Jackson had her right ankle taped up for the rest of the day, but she said it didn’t play a factor in the afternoon’s remaining events.

Putting the hurdles behind her, Jackson went on to win the high jump, her favorite event, by clearing the bar at 5-feet, 7¼ inches, which was a new personal record. Immediately after landing safely with the bar intact, Jackson leapt in the air with her arms held high and celebrated the victory with UW Assistant Coach Quincy Howe.

“I pretty much jumped up out of excitement because I got a personal record and I hadn’t done very well in the hurdles,” she said. “I was just really determined to do well in the high jump.”

Still, Jackson’s high jump victory proved to be the high point of her day, as the uphill battle continued with seventh place in the shot put and last place in the 200-meter dash, leaving her in last place overall with three events remaining. At the moment, her 2,117 points puts her a little over 1,000 points out of first place, which is occupied by Menlove (3,195).

“Britney had a minor set back in the hurdles, but dusted herself off and had a first-class effort,” said Howe. “That is a problem that you like to see with the hurdlers because it shows that they are improving and getting faster. It is just disappointing that it had to happen today at the conference championships.”

In the end, Jackson said she is hopeful to move up in the standings during the second segment of the heptathlon on Thursday (noon), but she will have to compete in two of her least favorite events to do so.

“My least favorite is a tie between the 800 (death race) and javelin,” she said in her UW Athlete of the Week interview on the UW athletics Website. “It’s just embarrassing.”
　

UW to host MWC track championships

For the first time in 41 years, the University of Wyoming track and field team will host a conference championship, with the Mountain West Conference Championships Wednesday through Saturday at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Somplex.

The last time UW hosted a conference championship was in 1968 and the Cowboys and Cowgirls were in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

Tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $4 for children, with an All-Championship pass available for $15 for Friday and Saturday, while the first two days of competition will be the women’s heptathlon and men’s decathlon and will be free to the public. Action on Wednesday and Thursday begin at noon, while field events on Friday kick off at 11 a.m. The final day of action will conclude on Saturday with field events and track races starting at noon, awards ceremonies will begin at 4 p.m.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to host this great tournament and compete in front of our home crowd,” said head Wyoming coach Don Yentes. “We have hosted meets here before and they have run extremely well, and this one will be no exception. This university has not hosted any type of championship since the MWC started ten years ago and it will be a great opportunity to show off what a great town and community this is.”

The Cowboys enter the championships with seven regional qualifiers, while the Cowgirls have qualified four individuals. The ‘Pokes have five individuals who are currently in the top three in the conference in their respective events. All four Cowgirls are ranked in the top six in the conference.

Leading the way for the Cowboys are senior Jake Shanklin, in the hammer throw; sophomore Jeremiah James, in the long jump and triple jump and sophomore Eliud Chirchir, in the 800-meter run. Shanklin is leading the conference and is currently ranked ninth in the nation in the hammer throw as he still searches for his first conference championship in the hammer throw. He owns three during the indoor season in the 35-pound weight throw. James is the returning outdoor long jump champion and leads the conference while he enters the championships as the second-best triple jumper. Chirchir owns the third-best time in the MWC in the 800-meter run while being ranked 34th in the nation.

Rounding out the regional qualifiers for the ‘Pokes are Mark Korir, in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase; Philemon Kimutai, in the 1,500-meter run; Sam Lambert, in the hammer throw and Joe Plante, in the discus throw.

As for the Cowgirls, senior Sharon Larrier and sophomore Afiya Walker, both in the 400-meter dash; junior Emily Higgins, in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 1,500-meter run, and junior Johnna Jeffries, in the high jump, lead the team. Larrier and Walker make a nice one-two punch in the 400-meter dash as their times are fourth and sixth respectively in the conference. Higgins ranks second in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase and fourth in the 1,500-meter run, while Jeffries ranks second in the conference in the high jump.

“We are not a very deep team, however, our top athletes are as good as anyone in the conference,” said Yentes. “We just need them to come out and do what they do and take care of their business and hope that some follow along in their footsteps.”

The Cowboys and Cowgirls will be competing against not only the best in the conference, but some of the best in the nation. On the men’s side, Lee Emanual from New Mexico, won the national championship in the indoor 1-mile run this past indoor season and is ranked second in the nation in the 1,500-meter run. Kyle Perry, from BYU, is ranked third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and eighth in the 5,000-meter run. Sprinters from TCU own the eighth-best 4X400-meter relay team in the nation.

On the women’s track, Lacey Cramer of BYU is ranked second in the nation in the 800-meter run, while her teammate, Katie Palmer, is ranked fourth. TCU’s 4X400-meter relay team is ranked third in the nation with one of the most dynamic sprinters in the conference, Jessica Young. She is ranked sixth in the nation in the 100-meter dash, 10th in the 200-meter dash, and 11th in the 400-meter dash, leading the conference in all three. On the field, the University of New Mexico has the fourth-best javelin thrower in the nation in Katie Coronado.

“There will be more All-Americans or future All-Americans competing in one place than ever before,” said Yentes. “There are a great group of track athletes competing, every event will be very tough and competitive.”

Along with the festivities of the week, the University of Wyoming track teams will be hosting an alumni meet and greet Friday at 6:30 in the Roach Room. There will also be a barbecue immediately following the last event on Saturday at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex, tickets are available at www.wyomingathletics.com. The alumni package will provide a t-shirt as well as an All-Championships pass.

Cowgrl soccer schedule released

The 2009 Cowgirl soccer schedule has been released and will open with home exhibition against the 2008 NCAA tournament participants Colorado Buffaloes. The regular season starts on the road against three-time defending Sun Belt Conference champion Denver University on Aug. 22.
" We feel that we have put together a very competitive non-conference schedule. We are excited to get games with Colorado and Denver and to be able to bring Princeton to Laramie," said UW head coach Danny Sanchez. " Teams from numerous different conferences are on the slate and we know it will be a great test for us as we get ready for conference play."

After DU, the Cowgirls will return home for their next two games against Hartford on Aug. 28 and Western Michigan on Aug. 30, then hit the road to play Utah Valley State (Sept. 4) and Utah State (Sept. 6).

Ivy League Conference champions Princeton will travel to Laramie on Sept. 10. Last season the Tigers were 12-3-2, and appeared in the NCAA Tournament.
Wyoming will host Idaho State on Sept. 13, and then travel to Boise, Idaho, to play Portland State, and Boise State.

After a one year absence, the UniWyo Cowgirl Classic will return for the 2009 season. Boise State, UC Riverside, and Gonzaga will participate. Games are scheduled for Sept. 25, and 27 at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

The Cowgirls will also host Northern Colorado in the Front Range Derby to close out the non-conference schedule on Oct. 4. Wyoming owns an all-time record of 5-1 against the Bears.

The Mountain West Conference season will start against Air Force on Oct. 2 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The next two conference games will also be on the road against New Mexico (Oct. 8), and TCU (Oct. 10).

The Cowgirls will return home and have three consecutive home games against San Diego State (Oct. 15), UNLV (Oct. 17) and Utah (Oct. 24). Last season Wyoming lost to BYU 1-0 in the final game of the year. This year the Cowgirls will travel to BYU on Oct. 31.

"The Mountain West Conference looks to be as strong as ever this fall. Most of the top players in the league are returning, with numerous very exciting incoming freshmen. We know what awaits us in conference play and are looking forward to the challenge," said Sanchez.

The MWC Tournament will be held in Provo, Utah. First round action will start on Nov. 4.
The Cowgirls begin practice for the 2009 season on Aug. 6.

Cowgirls finish third in own rodeo

UW photo

University of Wyoming Cowboy Troy Brandemuehl, a wildlife biology senior from Gordon, Neb., get a good grip on the horns during Sunday's steer wrestling event at the Cliff and Martha Hansen Livestock Teaching Arena.

by UW News Service

-

For a team used to winning all the time this season, the University of Wyoming women's rodeo club members were already looking ahead to the next rodeo when they didn't take the team title Sunday in their own backyard.

The Cowgirls' perfect season came to an end in the Central Rocky Mountain Region's (CRMR) final rodeo of the fall/spring season at the indoor Cliff and Martha Hansen Livestock Teaching Arena.

The Cowgirls had an off weekend during the 60th Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo, scoring a season-low 310 points to finish third in the standings to Central Wyoming College (CWC) which won with 330 points, and Sheridan College, which totaled 315 points.

It marked only the second time in two years -- spanning 20 rodeos -- that the Cowgirls did not finish first in a regional competition. With a 900-point lead going into the final weekend, the UW women were on track to claim the overall national points lead, but official scores had not yet been tabulated as of Monday morning.

"Hey, I have no complaints whatsoever," UW Coach George Howard said after watching his team place third in its home rodeo. "These ladies have done a phenomenal job and I expect them to go and carry it on to the college national finals."

Both the UW Cowgirls and Cowboys earned automatic bids to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) June 14-20 at the Casper Events Center. The Cowgirls have a three-year streak of finishing in the top five, winning the national title in 2007. After slipping to fourth overall last year, the three seniors on the squad vowed to make it a special season, with one goal in mind: to win another national title.

"Individually, I think we will do awesome because we have a really strong team. If we can stay focused and make good runs, we are going to succeed at the college finals," said Sarah Mulholland, a nursing senior from Richland Center, Wis., who placed fifth in Sunday's barrel racing average and won the overall regional breakaway roping title. "We're seniors and we should do well. We've practiced hard and we're focused. We're mentally tough and we've been pretty consistent all season."

She was referring to her veteran teammates Nikki Steffes and TaNaye Carroll.

All season, the seniors have dominated their respective events, but for the first time last weekend they were mere mortals. Only Steffes and Mulholland reached the short go Sunday afternoon.

Steffes, a microbiology/medical microbiology senior from Vale, S.D., was "not very" good," she said throughout the entire weekend. But her average performance still propelled her to a 10th consecutive all-around individual title this season when she placed in two events. She won in barrel racing and finished third in goat tying.

For her career, Steffes, the school's all-time leading scorer, now has won the regional all-around title and also the barrel racing event all four seasons of competition. By winning the goat tying long go Saturday, Steffes replaced Carroll as the regional champion.

Carroll, who didn't make the short go in the event, placed second overall. Steffes has won the goat tying event three times, finishing second to Carroll who was competing for Northeastern Junior College at that time.

"I've had the best four years at the University of Wyoming, and I've learned a lot. I definitely have to thank my teammates for making me so competitive and always being right there to support me" Steffes said after completing the third of her final events on the day. "I think we've all helped each other, especially Sarah and TaNaye and all my teammates in the past. I have to thank George, too, for always being there if I ever needed anything. He's always made sure we had good practices. It's been a lot of fun, that's for sure."

As she waited to collect her regional hardware for winning the regional goat tying and barrel racing events, Steffes had to stop and think about how many saddles she's been awarded for being named an all-around champion. Stored in the family's basement are nearly 50 saddles, all won since she started competitive rodeo at age five. She hopes the bigger prize comes next month at the CNFR -- that's been the goal ever since the team didn't repeat as national champions a year ago.

"Our goal at the finals is to be first in every single round of every single event," Steffes said. "It's probably not possible, but I think we're just going for it and we will be ready for it. We'll be so prepared, I know that."

Besides the three seniors, Kacy Hatten, an agricultural communications junior from Wheatland, will compete at the CNFR in breakaway roping. Steffes is entered in all three women's events; Mulholland in goat tying and breakaway roping; and Carroll will compete in goat tying.

The UW men also will take a full team to the CNFR Selected are Troy Brandemuehl, a wildlife biology senior from Gordon, Neb., in steer wrestling; Bucky Dickson, a kinesiology sophomore from Sequim, Wash., in bareback riding; Merritt Smith, an animal science sophomore from Gillette, in saddle bronc riding; Jason Hubbard, an agriculture senior from Wheatland, in tie down roping; and a pair of team ropers, Chad Nelson, an agricultural business senior from Buffalo, S.D., and Tyler Viles, a finance senior from Cody.

"We have good balance and have someone going to the college finals in every event except bull riding," he said. "We have some good solid players and they'll take a run at the national title. That's what we're going there for and that's been our goal all year long -- to win the nation."

The Cowboys captured a pair of events during Sunday's short go to place third overall with 445 points to maintain second place in the region. CWC won the team title with 610 points and Casper College was second with 450.

Brandemuehl came from the fourth position to win the short go to propel himself atop the steer wrestling average. His late-season push qualified him for his first CNFR.

"I had a really good fall, but had a rough start in the spring. I was putting too much pressure on myself and not having a lot of fun. I just said, ‘What the heck, let's just go get them and throw one down,'" he said after claiming the bulldogging belt buckle. "The last three to four weekends, I just relaxed and went out and did what I know how to do. I tried for four years to make it to the national finals and I finally made it."

Nelson and partner Beau Miller of Gillette College claimed the team roping title.

The Cowboys also got early round scoring from roughstock competitors Smith and Dickson, but were both thrown before the eight-second buzzer in the short go of saddle bronc and bareback riding, respectively. Douglas Owens, an architectural engineering senior from Gray, Tenn., was one of only two bull riders to complete two successful rides. He won both rounds to win the average, but his points did not count in the team's overall production. Owens was not one of the designated team members.

The Cowboys had two individuals win regional titles: Smith in saddle bronc riding and Viles in team roping.
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Women's team scores -- Central Wyoming College (CWC) 330; Sheridan College (SC) 315; University of Wyoming (UW) 310; Colorado State University (CSU) 240; Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) and Casper College (CC 135; Lamar Community College (LCC) 130 Gillette College (GC) 110; Laramie County Community College (LCCC) 5.
Men's team scores -- CWC 610; CC 450; UW 445; GC 345; Northeastern Junior College (NJC) 280; EWC 200; LCCC 175; CSU 105; Chadron State College (CSC) 85; Otero College (OC) 30.
Barrel racing -- Nikki Steffes, UW, 30.37; Jordan Hodges, UW, 30.43; Amanda Welsh, GC, 30.62; Alyson Rehm, CSU, 30.97; Sarah Mulholland, UW, 31.10; Becky Grimm, CSC, 31.14.
Breakaway roping -- Taylor Miniat, CSU, 4.7; Staci Miller, CC, 5.3; Lacey Schuelke, SC, 5.9; Jessica Picchietti, CWC, 6.1; Kendra Hemphill, LCC, 6.2; Bailee Novotny, SC, 6.7.
Goat tying -- Kaylee Moyer, EWC, 14.8; Lacey Schuelke, SC, 14.9; Nikki Steffes, UW, 15.2; Jamie Kirk, CC, 15.4; Lacey Roberts, CSC, 15.5; Jessica Picchietti, CWC, 15.9
Saddle bronc riding -- Travis Darling, CC, 151; J.W. Moore, CC, 133; Andrew Harris, NJC, 109. Only three on two rides.
Bareback riding -- Ty Breuer, CWC, 157; Jed Wilson, CC, 144; Bryan Jones, CWC, 143; Troy Bechen, CC, 137; Whitten Hoover, CSC, and Billy Kolz, LCC, both 134.
Bull riding -- Douglas Owens, UW, 149; Justin Thomas, LCCC, 141. Only two on two rides.
Steer wrestling -- Troy Brandemuehl, UW, 12; Logan McDonald, 13.1; 3, Lane Stirling, GC, 14.4; Troy Teague, CC, 17.3; Miles Spickemier, LCCC, 24.3; Seth Bolerjack, UW, 33.9.
Tie down roping -- Mitch McAdow, NJC, 18.5; Riley Warren, CWC, 20.7; Joey Dickens, CSU, 21.9; Will Smith, UW, 22.6; Bridger Chytka, CSC, 24; Dustin Smith, CC, 25.3.
Team roping -- Chad Nelson, UW/Beau Miller, GC, 16.5; Jessica Picchietti/Riley Warren, CWC, 18.3; Cody Waldrip/Hadley Berger, UW, 18.5; Will Smith, UW/Cody McClusky, NJC, 25.9; Tyler Viles/Jared Bilby, EWC, 27; Kaite Felix/Jake Hamilton, CC, 27.4.

Henzlik, Cowboys finish seventh at MWC

UW sophomore Phil Henzlik

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Wyoming sophomore Phil Henzlik finished in a tie for seventh place on Saturday in the Mountain West conference men's golf championships. That marks the second best individual finish by a Cowboy in the history of the MWC and a tie for the fifth best conference championship finish in Wyoming history.

As a team, the Cowboys held on to seventh place after being in ninth place after the opening round. The Cowboys finished with a three-round total of 873 (+21), which matches their best tournament score of the season. The Cowboys shot a 294 (+10) during Saturday’s final round.

Henzlik got off to a great start during Saturday’s final round and shot an even-par 71. That final round gave Henzlik a three-round total of 212 (-1) and put him in a four-way tie for seventh place. In addition to having one of the best conference championship performances in Wyoming history, this also marks Henzlik’s best career tournament and his first career top 10 finish.

Sophomore Zach Zaremba was the Cowboys second highest finisher, tying for 27th place with a three-round total of 218 (+5). Zaremba shot a final-round 74 (+3).

Sophomore Mike May finished a courageous tournament in a tie for 34th place. May, who battled illness all weekend and even spent time in the hospital, shot a three-round total of 221 (+8).

“I am very proud of Phil, it means a lot to finish in the top-10 of such a tough conference,” Wyoming head coach Joe Jensen said. “As a team, we had a lot of ups and downs this spring, but I am very pleased with how we finished. We have a young group of kids and a really bright future ahead of us, so we are looking forward to next year.

“I am especially proud of Mike and how he hung in there and gutted it out. He was sick and in the hospital after yesterday’s round, but came out here and played hard for his teammates.”

The conference’s team title was decided in dramatic fashion as No. 17 TCU and #22 San Diego State went into a team playoff after finishing the tournament with a three-round total of 844 (-8). TCU claimed the first playoff hole to win their first MWC men’s golf title.
Behind TCU and San Diego State were #34 UNLV (845, -7), #38 New Mexico (848, -4), #32 Colorado State (854, +2), BYU (856, +4), Wyoming (873, +21), Air Force (875, +23) and Utah (579, +27).

New Mexico’s Steve Saunders held on to his second-round lead to claim the individual conference championship with a three-round score of 204 (-9). UNLV’s Ji Moon finished second (208, -5), while TCU’s Johan de Beer, Tom Hoge and San Diego State’s Bryan Martin tied for third (209, -4).

The conference championship was played at OMNI Tucson National Golf Club, which plays to a par of 71 and measures 7,163 yards.
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Wyoming Results

Phil Henzlik, 73+68+71=212 (-1, T 7th)
Zach Zaremba, 72+72+74=218 (+5, T 27th)
Mike May, 73+71+77=221 (+8, T 34th)
Jared Butler, 77+77+72=226 (+13, 42nd)
Gabe Maier, 77+73+77=227 (+14, 43rd)

UW tracksters second at Front Range

BOULDER, Colo. -- The University of Wyoming track and field men and women both finished third in the Front Range Classic on Saturday.

The Cowgirls scored 143 points, four and a half points behind the Air Force Academy and 18.5 points behind Colorado State, which won the Front Range Classic for the second time. As for the Cowboys, they scored 108.5 points behind Colorado State and Air Force with 153 and 197 points respectively.

Senior Jake Shanklin continued his climb on the UW top-10 list in the hammer throw, as he improved to third best with his toss of 219-feet, 11 inches and a first place finish. His throw moved him into the fourth-best in the Mountain West Conference and currently the seventh-best throw in the NCAA this season.

Fellow Cowboy thrower Joe Plante had one of 11 first-place finishes for the Wyoming squad. He placed first in the discus throw at 179-3, his personal best and sixth-best throw in UW history.

“Jake (Shanklin) is really starting to get his feel for the hammer since coming off his red-shirt year,” said assistant coach Paul Barrett. “As for Joe (Plante), he is performing like one of the top freshmen in the nation. It’s really exciting to watch him throw.”

The jumpers performed well, as sophomore Travis Corrow and junior Jay Petsch finished first and second for the ‘Pokes in the long jump. Corrow’s leap of 21-8 gave him his best finish of the season. Sophomore Jeremiah James finished first in the triple jump for the sixth time this season and Lindsey Fuller was the lone Cowgirl jumper, as she placed second in the long jump and triple jump. In the triple jump, it was Fuller’s fifth-straight top-five finish.

Senior Sharon Larrier placed first in the 200-meter dash and the 400-meter dash with her times of 24.61 seconds and 54.97 respectively. It was the third time she finished first in the 200 this season in as many races. Fellow senior, Shaylee Babbitt followed Larrier in the 200-meter dash in 25.13 and a second-place finish, along with her first-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles with her time of 13.94. Jennifer Schmitz took second place in the 100-meter hurdles in 14.18.

“We had some good performances in some very tough conditions; the rain and cold really put a damper on the meet,” said head coach Don Yentes. “However, our kids really competed hard and did very well.”

Junior Kekoa Chavez had one of the best meets of the year, as he finished in second in the 400-meter hurdles and third in the 110-meter hurdles. His times in both events entered him into the top-10 list. In the 400-meter hurdles, he ran the seventh-best time of 52.72, and in the 110-meter hurdles he ran the tenth-best time of 15.02. Sophomore Philemon Kimutai finished first in the 5,000-meter run along with sophomore Seth Grossman who placed third in the same race.

“It was a good stepping stone for us to see what we can do at the conference meet,” said Yentes. “We had an opportunity to rest a few guys and let them all gear up for the conference meet.”

The Cowboys and Cowgirls will have a week and a half before they begin action at the MWC Championships on May 13-16 at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex.

Cowboy golfers move up a couple of spots

TUCSON, Ariz. -- On the heels of their best team round of the season, the University of Wyoming Cowboy golf team jumped from ninth place to seventh during the second round of the 2009 Mountain West Conference Men’s Golf Championship on Friday.

The Cowboys shot an even-par 284 on Friday and moved ahead of both Utah and Air Force in the team standings. With their best round of the season, the Cowboys are now 11-over par in the tournament with a score of 579.

Sophomore Phil Henzlik had a big day in leading the Cowboys with a career best 68 (-3), and is now tied for ninth place with a two-round score of 141 (-1). In addition to bettering his career best round by a stroke, Henzlik also shot under 70 for the first time in his collegiate career.

Behind Henzlik, sophomore Mike May turned in a gutsy performance in shooting a 71 (E). What made May’s performance so special is that he spent the majority of Thursday night with doctors, on an IV, battling illness. He played ill on Friday and had to return to the doctor immediately after Friday’s second round. With his even-par round, May is now tied for 21st with a two-round score of 144 (+2).

Sophomore Zach Zaremba, who led the Cowboys after Thursday’s opening round, shot a second 72 (+1) on Friday and is tied with May at 144 (+2).

“We played much better as a team and I am very proud of everyone,” Wyoming head coach Joe Jensen said. “It was great to finally put four good scores together and get it going as a team. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow, so it is important to close out the tournament with the same type of round as we played today.”

TCU, GolfStat’s 16th-ranked team in the nation, continues to lead the championship with a two-round score of 556 (-12). Behind TCU is No. 34 UNLV (560, -8), then a three-way tie between No. 22 San Diego State, No. 38 New Mexico and No. 32 Colorado State at 563 (-5). BYU (568, E), Wyoming (579, +11), Utah (583, +15) and Air Force (591, +23) round out the field.

In the race for the individual conference championship, New Mexico’s Steve Saunders leads the way with a two-round total of 133 (-9). He is followed by TCU’s Johan de Beer and UNLV’s Ji Moon, who are each tied for second with a total of 135 (-7).

The conference championship is being played at OMNI Tucson National Golf Club, which plays to a par of 71 and measures 7,163 yards. Action concludes Saturday with a final 18 holes. For the third consecutive day, the Cowboys will be paired with Air Force and Utah. The trio will begin teeing-off at 8 a.m. (Mountain Time).
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Wyoming Results
Phil Henzlik, 73+68=141 (-1, T 9th)
Mike May, 73+71=144 (+2, T 21st)
Zach Zaremba, 72+72=144 (+2, T 21st)
Gabe Maier, 77+73=150 (+8, 41st)
Jared Butler, 77+77=154 (+12, 44th)