Colorado State University Athletics
CSU Track & Field Preview: Robert Shine Invitational
2/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Indoor Track & Field
Feb. 15, 2006
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Robert Shine: The Colorado State track & field team will rejoin as one squad for the Robert Shine Invitational in Laramie on Friday. This is the final tune-up before the Mountain West Conference Championships next weekend. Events in Laramie are scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.
Weekend Recap: Both meets for the Rams were non-scoring affairs this weekend. The Rams won or had the top collegiate time in seven of 11 men's events and all 11 individual women's events at the Colorado School of Mines All-Comers. At Boise State, of the eight events the men had competitors in the Rams finished either first or second in six. For the women, a Ram finished in the top three in eight of 10 events.
Falling Records: The fourth school record of the season was broken this weekend as senior Nicole Feest finished 10th in the 5000 meters at the Husky Invitational hosted by the University of Washington. Feest ran an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 16:26.16, breaking the former record of 16:31.81, held by Sarah Piccolo from 1997.
It's Been A While: True freshman Chantelle Dron provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championship in the mile, winning the Holiday Inn Team Invitational with a time of 4:46.73. Her time is the fastest in the Mountain West Conference this season and she becomes the first female freshman in school history to qualify for the NCAAs in over 15 years. Qualifying standards could not be located prior to 1989. The last male to qualify as a true freshman was Magnus Lohse in 2004. Dron currently leads the conference in the mile and ranks third in the 800 meters with a time of 2:11.73 (a.a.).
Half Dozen: With Chantelle Dron and Nicole Feest provisionally qualifying over the weekend, Colorado State now has six student-athletes in seven events qualified for the NCAA Championship in March. Senior Janay DeLoach is qualified in both the 60 meters and long jump, while senior Jill McCormick, junior Trey Eder and senior Nate Heyrman are all qualified in the weight throw.
The Flying Morano: Junior Drew Morano recorded the second fastest 400 time in school history with his victory at the Holiday Inn Team Invitational. Morano ran a 47.61, bettering his previous best by exactly one second. The school record in the 400 meters is 46.95, held by Deontrey Taylor from 1998. Morano also finished fourth in the 200 meters with a time of 21.54 and his 400 time is third in the MWC.
Cracking The Top Five: Junior Rob Watson won the 3000 meters at the Holiday Inn Team Invitational by over 10 seconds, on his way to recording the fifth-fastest time in school history at 8:13.21. It is also the second-fastest time in the Mountain West this season behind multiple-time All-American Kip Kangogo of TCU.
Doubly Honored: Jill McCormick was named the Mountain West Conference Track & Field Athlete of the Week after winning the weight throw with a personal best throw of 66-8.5 at the Nebraska Triangular. It was the second straight week a Ram female athlete was honored after Janay DeLoach earned the award for her school record breaking performance in the long jump at the Modrall Sperling Lobo Invitational (20-4.5).
Mile After Mile: Chantelle Dron ran a 4:46.73 to win the mile at the Holiday Inn Team Invitational. Her time ranks third in school history. Junior Danielle Korb finished second behind Dron with a time of 4:47.59, which ranks fourth on the CSU charts.
Weight = 33: Colorado State has the top five ranked men's weight throwers in the Mountain West Conference. Should those places hold for the conference championship next weekend, the Ram men will earn 33 points in the weight throw. CSU also has the top three men's throwers in the shot put and the top two in both the long jump and the 5000 meters.
Top Three: In the Mountain West standings, Colorado State has 26 top three rankings in individual events, as well as the top ranked team in the women's distance medley relay. Rob Watson has the top time in the men's 5000 meters, while senior Justin Hazzard has the fastest 60 hurdles time. Junior Kevin Johnson leads in the long jump, while senior Matt McKinney has the best shot put and Trey Eder ranks first in the weight throw. Chantelle Dron has the top mile time, while sophomore Anne McLaughlin is tied for the best in the high jump. Janay DeLoach ranks first in the long jump, while Jill McCormick is first in the weight throw.
Made To Be Broken: Four school records have fallen already this season. Nicole Feest became the latest record breaker, running a 16:26.16 in the 5000 meters to break the old record of 16:31.81, held by Sarah Piccolo from 1997. Kevin Johnson broke the school heptathlon record with his third place finish at the Zia Classic Multis, totaling 5,185 points and missing the NCAA provisional qualifying mark by just 15 points. Johnson breaks his own record of 5,077 from last season. Janay DeLoach has two school records to her name. She won the long jump at the Modrall Sperling Lobo Invitational with a leap of 20-4.5, breaking her own record of 20-1.75 from the 2004 Mountain West Championship. She also holds the school record in the 55 meters from the Wyoming Open.
Freshmen Phenoms: Eight true freshmen have already made major impacts on the Colorado State team. For the women, Chantelle Dron posted the third fastest time in the mile, the fifth fastest time in school history in the 800 meters, and also has the fourth quickest 600 yards time. Kristen Hemphill ranks seventh on the mile charts after a 4:56.69 in Nebraska. Rashaun Greer now ranks eighth in school history in the 60 meter hurdles and 18th in the 60, while Scott Sanders is 12th in the 800 meters. David Eischeid posted the 12th best long jump in school history at the Wyoming Open after placing second with a leap of 22-11.25.
Next On The Schedule: Colorado State will travel to the Mountain West Conference Championships on Feb. 23-25 in Albquerque. This is the first time in Mountain West Conference history the championship has been held anywhere besides the Air Force Academy.