Colorado State University Athletics
18 Rams head to NCAA regionals
5/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Outdoor Track & Field
May 27, 2009
By John Manuszak
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Eighteen members of the Colorado State track and field program that reached regional-qualifying marks this season will participate in the NCAA Midwest regional meet this weekend, held at the John Jacobs track complex on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.
Field event trials and finals will be held each day, while the finals in all running events, with the exception of the men’s and women’s 5,000-meter run, will be on Saturday. The top five finishers in each event advance to the NCAA championships, June 10-13 at the University of Arkansas, along with several others in each event that have the best marks in the country but did not qualify at their respective regional meet.
“Right now it’s just about competing and being extremely focused and aggressive,” said Head Coach Brian Bedard. “With the way it’s set up having the top five finishers in each event advance to the national meet you don’t have to be pretty, just get the job done.”
Women’s thrower Missy Faubus will lead the Rams into regional action as the senior will compete in the shot put and discus. She qualified to compete in the hammer throw but will only participate in two events this weekend to keep her fresh.
“We decided that she should drop the hammer throw because competing in three events might spread her too thin,” said Bedard. “It’s a tribute to her that she qualified in all three events but in order for her to have her best chance at nationals, we think this is the route to take. It would be great to see her finish out her season well.”
Faubus advanced from the NCAA regional in two events last season (shot put and discus) and is the lone CSU athlete this weekend that has ever advanced to the NCAA championship meet previously.
Freshman Nicole Peters (3,000-meter steeplechase and 5,000-meter run) and junior Meagan Berg (hammer throw, discus) will also compete in multiple events for the Rams on the women’s side.
In the men’s competition, three-time defending Mountain West champion Alex Godell will compete in the hammer throw, along with Ryan Friese and Caston Mabin, who took home MWC titles in the 800-meter run and high jump, respectively.
“Alex has a high-enough national mark that he just needs to place in the top 12 to advance to the NCAA meet,” Bedard said. “Hopefully he can advance by getting in the top five but it’s nice to have that as an alternative.”
Live results for both days of competition will be made available by clicking here.
The following are the Rams’ regional qualifiers in action this weekend, and their events:
MEN
Ryan Friese (800-meter run)
Wil Buchanan (1,500-meter run)
Jeremy Freed (1,500 meters)
Nigel Joseph (400-meter hurdles)
Spenser Lynass (3,000-meter steeplechase)
Jake Keyser (3,000-meter steeplechase)
Doug Dieker (pole vault)
Tyson Williams (shot put)
Alex Godell (hammer throw)
Caston Mabin (high jump)
Nnamdi Agwu (triple jump)
WOMEN
Kirsten Anthony (1,500-meter run)
Nicole Peters (5,000 meters and 3,000-meter steeplechase)
Missy Faubus (shot put, discus)
Jennifer Ugochukwu (shot put)
Meagan Berg (hammer throw, discus)
Leah Elmshauser (hammer throw)
Marissa Saunders (1,500 meters)