Multi-event Athletes Get Going at Conference Championships

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- BYU men’s track got underway with the multi-events on Wednesday and Thursday and came away with a fifth and sixth place finish to get on the board at the Mountain West Conference Championships hosted by Colorado State.

Senior Phillip Bettis was on pace to win or finish in the top two but suffered from a groin injury. The decathlete threw the javelin from a standing position for 41.48m (136-01) but was unable to finish the 1,500 meters, the last event of the decathlon. Bettis finished in sixth place with 6297 points and scored three points for the team.

“He worked hard and tried but it is disappointing,” head coach Mark Robison said. “It was too bad, but he did well up to that point.”

Freshman Joshua Weirich led the way for the Cougars with 6484 points and a fifth place finish. In his first MWC outdoor championships Weirich was able to score four points for the team.

Sophomore Elizabeth Wilson represented the BYU women's team during the first two days of the competition while competing in the heptathlon. Wilson finished the event in fifth with 4597 total points.

This was the first full heptathlon competition for Wilson at BYU. Wilson finished first in the shot put portion of the heptathlon with a throw of 11.61m (38-01.25).

Field and running events get started Friday morning at 10 a.m. MT.