Colorado State University Athletics
Track & Field Splits Squads For Second Straight Week
4/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Outdoor Track & Field
April 25, 2007
Wyoming Invitational/Drake Relays Preview Split Squad:
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Just Added: Colorado State announced it will host the Ram Open on May 5. This meet has been added to the schedule due to the inclement weather the Rams' faced during the first three weeks of the season. A schedule of events will be available shortly. Please check CSURams.com for more information.
Elementary My Dear Watson: Senior Rob Watson shattered the school record in the steeplechase at the Oregon Invitational and currently ranks third in the nation. Watson finished fifth overall and second among collegians, running an 8:38.92, breaking the old record of 8:42.98 held by Mike Nicks from 2005. This is the second straight week Watson has broken a school record, as last week at the Sun Angel Classic he ran an 8:13.97 to break the 3000 meters record.
The Feest Factor: Senior Nicole Feest also broke a school record at the Oregon Invitational. She finished third overall and was the top collegian in the 10,000 meters, running a 34:00.73, breaking the old record of 34:08.94 by Sarah Piccolo from 1997. Feest also holds the school's indoor 5000 meter record.
What A Weekend: In the two meets over the weekend, Colorado State posted eight new NCAA Regional qualifiers, while two others improved upon their qualifying marks. Nicole Feest, Justin Hazzard, Kristen Hemphill, Danielle Korb, junior Magnus Lohse, junior Jason Schutz, freshman Jennifer Ugochukwu and Rob Watson all qualified for the first time this season, while sophomore Alex Godell and junior Stacey Poulos improved in the hammer.
Clean Sweep: Colorado State had Rob Watson named the Mountain West Men's Athlete of the Week in track & field, while Nicole Feest was the co-winner with Virgil Hodge of TCU. Last week, junior Emily Pearson was named co-athlete of the week for her victory in the Cal Invitational Heptathlon, giving the Rams three awards during the outdoor season.
Movin' On Up: The Rams' women's 1500 meter athetes continue to perform well this season. Danielle Korb, Kirsten Anthony, Chantelle Dron and Heather Loseke all competed in the 1500 meters at the Oregon Invitational on Friday evening. Korb qualified for the NCAA Regionals with her time of 4:27.29, which is also the sixth best time in school history, while Anthony now ranks eighth after running a 4:28.42. Dron, running in just her second meet of the year, did not improve upon her 10th-ranked time of 4:30.47 and Loseke jumped to 13th on the charts with her personal best time of 4:32.56. Dron, Korb, Anthony and Loseke will attempt to break the school record in the 4xmile relay. The current record stands at 19:52.82 by Meg Larson, Mary Ridder, Anya Sawyer and Katie Yemm from 2003.
Sophomore Sensation: Kristen Hemphill qualified for the NCAA Regionals in the steeplechase for the second straight season and posted the second fastest time in school history with her 10:42.41 at the Oregon Invitational. Last season, as a freshman, Hemphill finished second at the Mountain West Conference and eighth at the NCAA Regional in the steeplechase, as well as fifth in the 5000 meters at the conference championship.
Putting The Hammer Down: Alex Godell won the hammer throw at the Jack Christiansen Invitational with a personal best throw of 196-10, which also is the seventh best throw in school history and ranks third in the Mountain West this year. Godell also ranks among the top 20 in school history in the discus.
Among The Elite: Colorado State is one of six schools in Division I that has 10 or more student-athletes qualified for the NCAA Regionals in the shot put, discus and hammer throws. The Rams have nine athletes in 11 events qualified for the regionals thus far. Only Arizona State (15), Missouri (14) and UCLA (13) have more qualified than the Rams. Arizona also has 11 qualifiers, while USC has 10 qualified.
Titleists: Janay DeLoach won both the 100 meter and long jump, while sophomore Niomi Ridge won the 400 hurdles. The quartet of senior Megan Fox, freshman Tanesha Johnson, Emily Pearson and DeLoach won the 4x100 meter relay and senior Rae Backes won the high jump for the women's titles at the Jack Christiansen Invitational. For the men, Justin Hazzard won both the 110 and 400 hurdles, Magnus Lohse won the shot put and Alex Godell won the hammer throw.
Undefeated: The quartet of Megan Fox, Tanesha Johnson, Emily Pearson and Janay DeLoach have won all three 4x100 meter relay races they've entered this season. At the Rob Upton Invitational to open the season, the foursome ran a 47.88, then at the Tom Benich Classic in Greeley they clocked a 46.47 and last weekend at the Jack Christiansen they ran a 46.17.
Ten Is Heaven: For the 10th time in her outdoor career and the 18th time overall, Janay DeLoach surpassed the 20-foot barrier in a meet. DeLoach owns the school record in both the indoor (21-0.75) and outdoor long jump (20-8) and has been named to the Mountain West All-Conference team a total of six times in the long jump alone. She has also leaped over 20 feet in three straight meets this season and is ranked 10th in the nation, according to the Trackwire Dandy Dozen - a ranking of the top athletes in the nation in every event.
What The Regional Mark Means: Student-athletes who meet or surpass the NCAA Regional qualifying mark in their events are eligible to compete at the NCAA Midwest Regional May 25-26 at Drake. The top five in each event at the regionals then qualify for the NCAA Championship June 6-9, hosted by Sacramento State. In the multi-events and 10,000 meters, there is a provisional and automatic qualifying standard as neither is contested at regionals.
Making The List: Several student-athletes have added their name to the CSU record books this season.
• Tanesha Johnson now ranks second in the triple jump at 39-7.25 and seventh in the 100 meters at 12.03.
• Niomi Ridge moved up to 10th in the 100 hurdles with her time of 14.30, while junior Tonya Cure is now 18th with her best time of 14.91 and she also ranks 15th in the javelin with a throw of 125-3.
• Emily Pearson ranks third in the heptathlon with 5,204 points and 13th in the 200 meters at 24.89.
• Danielle Korb (4:27.29), Kirsten Anthony (4:28.42), Chantelle Dron (4:30.47), Heather Loseke (4:32.56) and Kristen Hemphill (4:34.74) now rank sixth, eighth, 10th, 13th and 17th, respectively in the 1500 meters.
• Kristen Hemphill also posted the second best steeplechase time in school history (10:42.41).
• Nicole Feest holds the school record in the 10,000 meters after clocking a 34:00.73 at the Oregon Invitational.
• Sonni Russell cleared 5-6.5 during the Glenn Morris heptathlon to rank 15th on the charts and she is 17th in the heptathlon.
• Sophomore Kate Colvin cleared 10-11.75 in the pole vault to rank sixth.
• Jennifer Ugochukwu moved up 10 spots to 10th in the shot put at 47-9.25.
• Haley Hunt moved up to 15th in the discus with her throw of 152-10, while freshman Jennifer Mack is 20th in the discus and 19th in the hammer.
• Sophomore Amanda Johnson moved up to 16th in the hammer throw with her toss of 164-6.
• Kristen Kugler ranks 13th in the heptathlon.
• Zach Jordan now ranks 19th in the 100 meters at 10.72.
• Drew Morano ranks second in the 400 meters with his time of 46.73, while freshman Cole Tucker moved up to 13th with his time of 48.04 at the Jack Christiansen.
• Kyle Keeler moved up into 13th in the 400 meter hurdles with his time of 53.03.
• Steve Swartz now ranks eighth in the 1500 meters with his time of 3:48.83.
• Rob Watson is the new record holder in the steeplechase with his time of 8:38.92.
• Freshman Kevin Wills is tied for 19th in the high jump with a clearance of 6-6.75.
• Junior Jason Smith now ranks fifth in the triple jump with his leap of 49-0.75, while freshman Ryan Friese now ranks 13th with a leap of 46-9.
• Jason Schutz is now sixth in the discus at 188-3 and 14th in the hammer at 187-1.
• Freshman Cameron Carter ranks ninth in the discus with his throw of 178-10.
• Alex Godell is now seventh in the hammer at 196-10.
• Freshman Doug Dieker scored 5801 points in the decathlon to rank 18th and with his clearance of 15-1 in the pole vault, ranks 18th.
Bettering Themselves: A host of student-athletes posted personal best marks in events over the weekend. That list follows with the event in parentheses:
Women: Kirsten Anthony (1500 meters); sophomore Jessica Bruha (400 meters); Tonya Cure (100 hurdles); Nicole Feest (10,000 meters); freshman Emily Geubelle (discus); Kristen Hemphill (steeplechase); Haley Hunt (shot put); Amanda Johnson (hammer); Danielle Korb (1500 meters); Kristen Kugler (100 hurdles, long jump); Heather Loseke (1500 meters); Jennifer Mack (discus); freshman Renee Mayer (5000 meters); Emily Pearson (long jump); Niomi Ridge (100 hurdles); Sonni Russell (100 hurdles, long jump); freshman Brittany Stephens (400 meters); junior Alison Taylor (1500 meters); Jennifer Ugochukwu (shot put, discus).
Men: Doug Dieker (110 hurdles, pole vault); senior Bryan Dillon (1500 meters); Alex Godell (hammer); sophomore Daniel Hemphill (1500 meters); Zach Jordan (200 meters); freshman Robert Marin (400 hurdles); Jason Schutz (hammer); Steve Swartz (1500 meters); Kip Taylor (5000 meters); Cole Tucker (200 meters, 400 meters); Rob Watson (steeplechase).
Record Holders Returning: Magnus Lohse returns as the Rams' record holder in the shot put. He threw 62-11.5 in the first meet of the season before battling wrist injuries the rest of the year. Two of the four members of the 4x110 meter shuttle hurdle relay also return in Justin Hazzard and Rashaun Greer. The pair, along with Mike Horton and Kevin Johnson ran a 57.88, bettering the old record of 57.99 held by Horton, Tom Waido, Hazzard and Brian Williams from 2003.
Roster Breakdown: Fifteen states and four countries are represented on the 2007 Rams' rosters. Besides the United States, the Rams have student-athletes from Canada (Ontario), Australia and Sweden. The majority of the rosters (74) are home-grown, hailing from the state of Colorado, while there are four each from California and Oregon, three from Arizona and New Mexico, two each from Kansas, South Dakota and Texas and one from Illinois, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio and Utah.