Qualifiers Lead Track to Mt. SAC Relays

PROVO -- The BYU track and field teams will use the giant Mt. San Antonio College Relays in Walnut, Calif. to tune-up before returning home for the Robison Invitational next weekend.

The Mt. SAC Relays will feature more than 15,000 athletes in all different levels of competition during the three-day meet. The Cougars will compete with many of the nation's top collegiate programs, including Arkansas, Stanford, Florida and Texas Tech.

The Cougars are also scheduled to compete in Logan, Utah at the five-team Mark Faldmo Invitational on Saturday. This annual meet will feature athletes from BYU, Idaho State, Utah, Utah State and Weber State.

The No. 6 BYU women's team heads to the meets with 19 regional qualifying marks including top-10 national marks from Amy Menlove (long jump), Aneta Lemeisz and Heidi Magill (800 meters) and Chelsea Smith (10,000 meters).

The No. 16 men's team has 25 regional qualifying marks, including one by the 4x400 meter relay team. Bryan Lindsay (1,500 meters), Josh McAdams (3,000 meter steeplechase), Josh Rohatinsky (5,000 meters), Jake Garlick and Ben Gardner (400-meter hurdles), David Pendergrass (high jump), Trent Powell and Robison Pratt (pole vault) and Rodrigo Mendes (triple jump) currently hold top-10 national marks.

Competition begins Friday morning in California, going well into the night with the distance carnival. A few more Cougars will compete Saturday at Mt. SAC, while the Mark Faldmo Invitational is a one-day event.

Recaps of the meets can be found on www.byucougars.com.