Unofficial 2004 Wyoming Mens Track Page

Jan. 24, 2004 - LARAMIE, Wyo. - Three University of Wyoming track and field athletes qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships Saturday at the Air Force Invite in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Cowboys had successes on Saturday. Sophomore Jeremiah Johnson took the top spot in the 800 meter run, crossing the finish line in 1:53.43. Junior Jeremey Thompson finished fifth in the event with a time of 1:56.42.

Cowboys Ragen Driver and Jason Delaney proved to be too much for their competition in the 3,000 meter run. They finished first and second in the race with times of 9:15.13 and 9:18.87, respectively.

In the throwing events two Cowboys picked up second place finishes. Junior transfer Kyle Herl finished second best in the shot put with a mark of 59' 8 1/4", while junior Zack Schaefer finished in second place in the weight throw with his performance of 62' 2 1/2".

Sophomore Blake Jackson saved his best for last in the triple jump. Jackson took third place in the event with his last and final jump of 48' 10 3/4".

"Our guys are a young group," added Yentes. "They are very close to getting over the hump and emerging as a very good team. I was pleased with how they performed today, but we are just not all the way there yet."

Cowgirls Andrea Batt, Jessica Fox and Shauna Smith all delivered top notch performances for Wyoming.

Batt, a senior from Hudson, Mont., placed first in both the shot put and weight throw events posting marks of 53' 4 1/4" and 64' 10 1/2". Both marks provisionally qualify her for the NCAA's in the events. Batt's first place finishes marks the second consecutive week she has taken home first place honors in both the shot put and weight throw.

Junior Jessica Fox raced to a first place finish in the 400 meter dash with a time of 52.88. The time set a new Air Force Fieldhouse record along with breaking her previous Mountain West Conference and UW school record of 53.02, set last year. Fox's time also automatically places her in the 2004 NCAA Indoor Championships in March.

Shauna Smith proved that she is one of the best hurdlers in the MWC Saturday placing first in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.33. Her time breaks her old UW record in the event and provisionally qualifies her for the NCAA's.

Several other Cowgirls turned in great performances on Saturday. Senior Kima Wells took first place in the 60 meter dash, crossing the finish line with the second fastest time of her career - 7.54. Freshman Amanda Hopper set a new personal record in the 200 meter dash with her time of 24.95, which also took first place in the event. Senior Kelly Ann Charles notched a second place finish in the 60 meter hurdles with a 8.58 performance and also took fourth in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.81. Sophomore Emerald Reid notched a second place finish in the 3,000 meter run with her time of 10:59.53.

The Cowgirls also raced their way to a provisional qualifying mark in the 4x440 yard relay. The sprint squad of Amanda Hopper, Jessica Fox, Shauna Smith and Kima Wells crossed the finish line in 3:41.25, setting a new UW record. The team is the first relay team in school history to provisionally qualify for the NCAA Championships.

"Our girls came to compete," said UW head track and field coach Don Yentes. "It was a heck of a meet. Our sprinters were outstanding and we had performances in almost every event that were great. I am very excited about where these girls are heading."

The Cowgirls and Cowboys will compete again next weekend, Jan. 31st, when the host the Robert Shine Invite in the War Memorial Fieldhouse in Laramie, Wyo.