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.