Track & Field Preview: NCAA Midwest Regional

May 23, 2007

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Regional Bound: The Colorado State track & field team heads to Des Moines, Iowa for the 2007 NCAA Midwest Regionals. The meet will be held May 25-26, 2007 at Drake University's Drake Stadium.

Regional Qualifiers: Colorado State's regional qualifiers compete May 25-26 in the Midwest Region. The NCAA Championships are scheduled June 6-9.

MWC Championship Recap: Colorado State's men's team caputured second place while the women's team placed fourth. The men's team scored 166 points finishing behind BYU (214). Colorado State's women's team tallied 119 points, finishing behind BYU (214), TCU (152) and San Diego State (128).

Pearson Racks Up Points: Junior Emily Pearson was named the High Point Award Winner after scoring 24.5 points over the four-day conference championhips meet.

Setting The Record Straight: Junior Drew Morano posted a qualifying time of 46.15 in the 400 meter preliminaries at the Mountain West Conference Championships. Morano's time broke the school record of 46.40 held by Deontrey Taylor from 1998. It also ranks as the ninth best time in the Midwest Region and 23rd in the nation.

Top of the Mountain: Six Colorado State athletes took home individual titles at the Mountain West Conference Championship meet.

 Drew Morano - 200 meter
 Rob Watson - 3000 meter steeplechase
 Justin Hazzard - 400 hurdles
 Alex Godell - hammer
 Magnus Lohse - shot put
 Janay DeLoach - long jump.

All-Conference Honorees: Several student-athletes, including 11 men and nine women earned All-Mountain West Conference honors thanks to their performances at the MWC Championship meet.

Men:
 Cameron Carter (discus, 2nd)
 David Eischeid (4x100 relay, 2nd)
 Alex Godell (hammer, 1st)
 Justin Hazzard (400 meter hurdles, 2nd; 110 meter hurdles, 3rd)
 Nate Heyrman (shot put, 3rd)
 Zach Jordan (4x100 relay, 2nd)
 Magnus Lohse (shot put, 1st; javelin, 3rd)
 Drew Morano (400 meter, 2nd; 4x100 relay, 2nd)
 Travis Picou (4x100 relay, 2nd)
 Jason Schutz (discus, 3rd)
 Rob Watson (steeplechase, 1st; 5000 meter, 2nd)

Women:
 Kirsten Anthony (1500 meter, 3rd)
 Janay DeLoach (long jump, 1st; 4x100 relay, 3rd)
 Nicole Feest (5000 meter, 2nd)
 Megan Fox (4x100 relay, 3rd)
 Haley Hunt (hammer throw, 3rd)
 Tanesha Johnson (4x100 relay, 3rd)
 Emily Pearson (heptathlon, 3rd; 100 meter hurdles, 2nd, 4x100 relay, 3rd)
 Stacey Poulos (hammer, 2nd)
 April Thomas (10,000 meter, 3rd)

Elitists: Colorado State is the only school in the nation to have four men throw over 195-0 feet (59.45m) in the nation this season. Nate Heyrman, Alex Godell, Jason Schutz and Trey Eder have all hit 195-0 or better this year - and all four did so at the Ram Open on Saturday. Three other institutions have had three student-athletes hit the mark, as Georgia, Manhattan and Missouri all also have strong hammer programs. Still Perfect: Colorado State's 4x100 meter relay team remaned undefeated on the year by clocking a season-best 46.12 time in the Ram Open. The m en's team also won its relay.

And Al Makes Four: For his winning effort at the Wyoming Invitational, sophomore Alex Godell was named the Mountain West Men's Athlete of the Week. Godell threw a personal best 197-8 in the hammer, marking the second-straight week he has thrown 60-meters or better in competition. Last week, senior Rob Watson was named the Men's Athlete of the Week, while senior Nicole Feest was the co-winner with Virgil Hodge of TCU. Junior Emily Pearson was named co-athlete of the week for her victory in the Cal Invitational Heptathlon, giving the Rams four awards this season.

Burst of Speed: Both Janay DeLoach and freshman Tanesha Johnson posted career-best times in the 100 meters over the weekend at different meets. DeLoach finished third at the Drake Relays, running an 11.69 in the prelims, which is the third best time in school history, while Johnson won the 100 at the Wyoming Invitational with a time of 12.01, which ranks seventh on the CSU charts. Drew Morano also recorded a personal best in the 100 meters, clocking a 10.58 in Laramie for the eighth fastest time in school history.

Trifecta: Colorado State is one of only three schools in the nation to have four male student-athletes who have all thrown over 190-feet (57.91m) in hammer throw competition this season. Georgia and Missouri are the other two schools and the four Rams are Alex Godell, Nate Heyrman, junior Jason Schutz and junior Trey Eder. Godell has thrown over 60 meters in the last two meets, throwing a personal best 197-8 to win the Wyoming Invitational. Schutz and Eder also threw personal bests in Laramie, throwing 194-11 and 193-5, respectively to finish second and fourth. Heyrman threw a season-best 196-4 at the Sun Angel Classic and has a career-best throw of 203-7 from the NCAA Regionals last year.

Qualifiers: A total of 29 qualifying marks have been hit by Colorado State student-athletes this year. The Rams' have two NCAA provisional qualifying marks in Nicole Feest (10,000) and Emily Pearson (heptathlon), while there are 19 individuals and the men's 4x100 relay team that have surpassed the necessary mark to move on into post-season competition.

Titleists: At the Wyoming Invitational, Tanesha Johnson won both the 100 meters and triple jump titles, while junior Danielle Rawlings won the 3000 meters, senior Rae Backes won the high jump, freshman Jennifer Ugochukwu won the shot put, Alex Godell was victorious in the hammer, junior Andres Urbina won the steeplechase and freshman Doug Dieker cleared a personal best 15-7 to win the pole vault. Haley Hunt and Jason Schutz were also the top collegians in the discus, each finishing second overall.

Complete Progress: Cole Tucker improved his time in both the 200 and 400 meters in four straight meets heading into the MWC Championships. The freshman ran a 47.92 in the 400 meters at the Wyoming Invitational to move up to 12th on the CSU descending order list, while he posted a best time of 21.86 in the 200 meters.

Elementary My Dear Watson: 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.

The Feest Factor: 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.

Undefeated: The quartet of Megan Fox, Tanesha Johnson, Emily Pearson and Janay DeLoach have won all three 4x100 meter relay races they've entered. At the Rob Upton Invitational, the foursome ran a 47.88, then at the Tom Benich Classic in Greeley they clocked a 46.47 and at the Jack Christiansen they ran a 46.17.

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 record books this season.

 Janay DeLoach ranks third in the 100 meters with her time of 11.69, while Tanesha Johnson is seventh at 12.01. Johnson also ranks second in the triple jump at 39-7.25 and ninth in the 200 meters, clocking in at 24.58.|
 Sophomore 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.
 Senior Danielle Korb (4:27.29), sophomore Kirsten Anthony (4:28.42), freshman Chantelle Dron (4:30.47), sophomore Heather Loseke (4:32.56) and sophomore 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.
 Freshman Sonni Russell cleared 5-6.5 to rank 15th in the high jump and she is 17th in the heptathlon.
 Sophomore Emily Patton now ranks eighth in the triple jump after her leap of 36-7.75.
 Sophomore Kate Colvin cleared 11-6.25 in the pole vault to rank fourth.
 Jennifer Ugochukwu is 10th in the shot put at 47-9.25.
 Haley Hunt is up another three spots to 12th in the discus with her throw of 156-6, while freshman Jennifer Mack is 20th in the discus and 16th in the hammer.
 Sophomore Amanda Johnson moved up to 17th in the hammer throw.
 Junior Ashleigh Morton threw 128-2 in the javelin to rank 14th.
 Kristen Kugler ranks 13th in the heptathlon.
 Drew Morano sped to a 10.58 in the 100 meters, which ranks eighths, while his time of 21.11 in the 200 meters is fifth and his 46.73 in the 400 meters is second.
 Zach Jordan ranks 20th in the 100 at 10.72.
 Cole Tucker moved up one more spot to 12th in the 400 meters with his time of 47.92.
 Kyle Keeler moved up another five spots ot eighth in the 400 meter hurdles after running a 52.42.
 Steve Swartz ranks eighth in the 1500 meters with his time of 3:48.83.
 Rob Watson is the record holder in the steeplechase with his time of 8:38.92.
 Both junior Collin Ferguson and freshman Kevin Wills are tied for 19th in the high jump with a clearance of 6-6.75.
 Junior Jason Smith now ranks fourth in the triple jump with his leap of 49-1, while freshman Ryan Friese now ranks 13th at 46-9.
 Doug Dieker scored 5801 points in the decathlon to rank 18th and with his clearance of 15-7.25 in the pole vault, he now ranks 11th.
 Jason Schutz is now sixth in the discus at 188-3 while freshman Cameron Carter is ninth with his best throw of 180-5.
 Freshman Cameron Carter ranks ninth in the discus with his throw of 178-10.
 The quartet of Nate Heyrman, Alex Godell, Schutz and Trey Eder now rank fifth, sixth, ninth and 10th, respectively in the hammer after all threw career bests at the Ram Open.

Bettering Themselves: A host of student-athletes posted personal best at the Mountain West Conferenc Championships. That list follows with the event in parentheses:

Women: Kirsten Anthony (1500 meters); Tonya Cure (shot put, javelin); Nicole Feest (5000 meters); Kristen Hemphill (steeplechase, 5000 meters); Haley Hunt (discus); Danielle Korb (5000 meters); Kristen Kugler (100 hurdles, high jump, heptathlon); Heather Loseke (10,000 meters); Emily Pearson (100 hurdles, high jump, shot put); Danielle Rawlings (10,000 meters); Sonni Russell (heptathlon); April Thomas (10,000 meters).

Men: Ryan Billups (triple jump); Camercon Carter (discus, shot put); Collin Ferguson (high jump); Jeremy Freed (5000 meters, 10,000 meters); Ryan Friese (long jump); Alex Godell (shot put); Zach Jordan (200 meters); Ryan Kirkpatrick (10,000 meters); Magnus Lohse (javelin); Denny Majerus (long jump); Drew Morano (400 meters); Jason Schutz (shot put); Andres Urbina (steeplechase, 10,000 meters); Rob Watson (5000 meters).

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