Cougars Set New Conference Bests at BYU Invite

PROVO -- The Cougar men's track and field team hosted a rare weekend at home, competing at the 2010 BYU Invitational on Friday.

Ryan Waite won the 800 meter race in a time of 1:50.17, a new best time in the conference. Robert Harrison took fourth, the same place Harrison also claimed in the 1,500 meters.

Also winning his race was Kevin Ahlstrom, top finisher in the 400-meter hurdles with a time that puts him third in the MWC.

James Derek McCallister ran well, finishing first among all BYU runners in the 400 meters with a time of 48.14. McCallister also competed in the 200 meters, ending in the fourth spot.

Running his first 200 meters since high school, Aaron Powell ran a 21.49, the best time of any Cougar this season.

In the 110-meter hurdles, TJ Emrich and Lance Walker tied for fourth place while Aaron Allen rounded out the top ten.

Sean Adams took fifth and Rob Skidmore sixth in the 400 meters, running times of 49.15 and 49.73, respectively.

Despite pulling up lame midway through the 100 meters, James Ghormley finished tenth overall with a time of 11.23. Ghormley was diagnosed with a slightly pulled hamstring.

In the pole vault, TJ Emrich finished first at 5.00 meters with Tyler Brown at 4.70 meters going sixth and Joshua Speirs at 4.55 meters finishing eighth.

Kyle Mills went huge on the long jump, setting a personal best at 7.03 meters while Jonathan Ferguson finished eighth at 6.16 meters.

Cougars swept the top three spots in the triple jump, with Myller DeAraujo leading the way at 14.96 meters followed by Mills and David Holgate.

In the high jump, Trevor Heiner again took second, jumping 2.05 meters.

Daniel Lawson finished in the top three in two field events, placing second in the discus with his throw of 52.96 meters and third in the shot put at 16.74 meters.

Oliver Whaley competed in outdoors for the first time this season in the hammer throw, winning the event and moving atop the conference leaderboard with a throw of 57.50 meters.

Blaine Baker's mark of 70.29 meters in the javelin is good for second in the MWC rankings, joining teammates Sean Richardson and John Reilly as the top three in the conference. Brett Birkeland finished seventh at the meet with a distance of 48.98 meters.