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FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- With a dominant final day the BYU women’s track and field team clinched their third consecutive Mountain West Conference outdoor championship with 191 team points.
"We just had a great final day today," head coach Patrick Shane said. "All of the athletes really performed well and we even had a few personal best performances. It means a lot to win this in our last year in the Mountain West.
The win marks the 10th MWC outdoor championship for the women’s team in 12 tries. New Mexico came in second to the Cougars with 128 points and TCU finished third with 98 points.
First year head coach Patrick Shane was named MWC Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year. Shane also won the 2011 MWC Indoor Coach of the Year award.
Junior Lacey Bleazard highlighted the meet with her third straight MWC outdoor 800m title. Bleazard finished in 2:07.06 to take the win, her sixth MWC championship overall, including indoor titles.
Just behind Bleazard in the 800m was junior Nicole Clark, who finished second in 2:08.78. Sarah Edwards also placed in the top five for BYU, taking fourth in 2:09.09.
The 1500m run featured four BYU runners in the top eight positions. Katie Palmer, the MWC indoor mile champion, took the win in 4:28.29. Senior Kari Hardt placed fourth in the race in 4:33.03, while Stacy Slight took fifth and Candace Eddy seventh.
Also winning an individual championship was Amber Wardell in the javelin. Wardell finished first with a toss of 45.89m (150-07). Amber Freeman finished third with a throw of 42.80m (140-05) and Julie Larson took sixth with a distance of 40.68m (133-05).
Alyssa Christensen narrowly missed out on defending her MWC crown in the 400m hurdles, taking second in 59.70. Freshman Allysa Hansen placed fourth in the race in 1:01.06.
In the 100m hurdles Fatima Makakala led the way for BYU with a third place finish in 13.71. Christensen crossed the line in fourth in 13.80 to score five team points.
Porshe Giddings led the Cougars in the sprints, placing fourth in both the 100m (11.88) and 200m (24.32). Aubrey Hale also placed in the 100m, taking sixth in 12.09.
Giddings and Hale also competed in the 4x100m relay that took second in 45.47. The Cougars also placed in the 4x400m, taking third in 3:40.75.
Sophomore Elizabeth Wilson, who placed fourth in the heptathlon, managed a fourth place finish in the triple jump with a leap of 12.05m (39-06.50). Cassandra Woodall took fourth in the shot put with a toss of 14.99m (49-02.25.)
BYU will continue the track and field season at the NCAA West Region meet on May 26 in Eugene, Oregon.
PROVO, Utah -- Seeking their third consecutive Mountain West Conference outdoor championship, the BYU women’s track and field team will head to Fort Collins on Wednesday with hopes to end their MWC run with a title.
“If the BYU Twilight Meet is any indication, I think our athletes will perform very well this weekend,” head coach Patrick Shane said. “It means a lot to our staff that this is our last MWC meet and our goal is a team championship.”
Heading into the meet the Cougars have the top-ranked mark in six events, including the 800m, 10000m, 100m hurdles, 3000m steeplechase, high jump and javelin.
Junior Lacey Bleazard holds the top spot in the 800m and will look to win her sixth consecutive MWC 800m title. Bleazard has never lost an 800m final race in a MWC Championship meet in her BYU career.
Ranked at the top of the 10000m is transfer Morgan Haws who will be competing in her first ever MWC outdoor championship meet. Fatima Makakala will strive to win her first MWC individual championship in the 100m hurdles and enters the event with the top time of 13.63.
Katy Andrews, a junior, hopes to win her first MWC individual title as well. Andrews will step on the track with the top time in the 3000m steeplechase.
In the field, Ada Robinson ranks atop the high jump standings based on her mark of 1.81m achieved at the BYU Twilight Meet. Teammate Diana Blauer ranks third in the event.
Amber Freeman holds the advantage in the javelin for the Cougars and she is joined by several teammates in the top eight. Allyson Wardell, Julie Larsen and Erin Wells all rank in scoring position heading into the meet.
“The javelin may be our deepest event,” Shane said. “Coach (Dick) Legas has done a great job bringing these athletes along and we are very strong in this event, along with several others.”
The only events that do not feature BYU athletes in the top eight positions are the discus, long jump, 5000m and 400m. Every other event has at least two Cougars in scoring position, aside from the triple jump, shot put and heptathlon, in which only one BYU athlete will compete.
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