| Saturday, Dec. 15, 2001
For Immediate Release ISU Tracksters Kick Off Season With Annual Tye Dye Meet Pocatello, ID--- The Idaho State track teams competed in their annual intrasquad Tye Dye meet Saturday to kick off the 2001-02 track season. The meet offers a glimpse of who to watch when the actual season begins in mid-January. Last year’s leaders, All-America thrower Maureen Griffin, sophomore sprinter Selena Frazier and sprinter/jumper Daniel Lai as well as a crop of newcomers proved that this will be an exciting year for the Bengals. On the women’s side, Frazier captured the 55-meter dash and 300-meter run titles in the meet for the second-straight year, with times of 7.21 and 39.39 respectively. Junior Mattie Mulick won the 1000-meter run in 3:04.61, while junior Norah Parkinson nabbed the 3200-meter title in 11:39.40. Sophomore Jackie Poulson, who will take on sprinting, hurdling and multi event duties this season, is off to a good start, earning three event titles--the 55-meter hurdles (8.69), the high jump (5-0) and the long jump (17-1 3/4 ). Triple jump/multi eventer Kim Scott won the triple with a leap of 35-5 3/4, just one inch further than freshman Melissa Griffiths, out of Snake River High School, who will tackle jumping and pole vaulting duties for the Bengals this year. Griffin continued to reign over the throwing areas, winning the weight throw, an event she holds the school record in, with a toss of 56-1 1/2. Griffin finished second in the shot put to former ISU standout, Hillary Merkley, with a heave of 41-9 1/2. Transfer Rachel Squires, out of North Idaho Community College, finished second in the weight throw to Griffin. Sophomore Echo Schneider, who boosted herself into the ISU top 10 last year, won the javelin with an 171-6 effort. On the men’s side, Lai won the 55-meter dash (6.58) and long jump (22-4 3/4) to kick off the year. Branko Teodorovic, the European junior champion in the 400 meter, started his Bengal career with a 500-meter win (1:07.88). Paul Hoffman, who was third on the ISU squad in the mile last year, took the 3200-meter title (9:12.50), while Kevin Bell, who only has outdoor eligibility left, took the 55-meter hurdles in 8.56. Blaise Burns, a freshman out of Preston, Idaho, looks to step up in the high jump for the Bengals, winning the event with a 6-0 clearance in his first ISU competition. Andy Wilke was a two-event winner, nabbing the shot put (40-1 1/2 ) and weight throw titles (48-1 3/4) to open the 2001 indoor campaign. NCAA competitor Gabor Hajdu won the javelin title with a toss of 257-0, while sophomore Ben Allen, last year’s top triple jumper, continued his success in the event with a winning leap of 43-10. Multi-eventer Paul Litchfield, who specializes in the pole vault, finished second to assistant coach Steve Deming in the event with a clearance of 16-6. The Bengals first competitive
meet of the 2001-02 season comes January 19 when they play host to the
Snake River Open in Holt Arena.
Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2001 For Immediate Release Bengal Track Teams Sign Three Runners for 2002-03 Season Pocatello, ID---The Bengals have signed three sprinters to national letters of intent, as announced by head track and field coach Dave Nielsen. Larnie Boyd, Tiffany Anderson and Melissa McLimore have all signed letters of intent to run for Idaho State during the 2002-03 season. Boyd, of Vallejo HS in Vallejo, CA, was a two-event participant at the California State track meet. She ran a 24.83 in the 200- meter dash and a 55.89 in the 400 meters, which would both be Idaho State records. Boyd, the daughter of Allen G. Boyd and Yvonne Cooley, also ran on the sixth-fastest 4x400-meter relay team in the nation last year. She also earned the African- American Academic award during her high school career. Boyd plans to major in either computer science or engineering at ISU. Anderson, of Burley HS in Burley, ID, was the Class 1A Division II State champion in the 100-meter dash during the 2001 season. The honor student was also runnerup in the 200 meter at the state meet and ran on the 4x200-meter relay team that finished second at state. Anderson, the daughter of Wayne and Ronda Anderson, is undecided about her major at ISU. McLimore, of Jerome HS in Jerome, ID, is the reigning Class 1A Division II state champion in the 200 and 400-meter events She was also the runnerup to Anderson in the 100 meter at last year’s state meet, while also running on the state champion sprint medley relay team. McLimore, daughter of Walt and Elaine McLimore, is a national honor society member that plans to be a pre-med major at ISU. The Bengal tracksters
first meet of the 2001-02 season is the intrasquad Tye Dye meet, Dec. 14-15
in Holt Arena.
For Immediate Release Sept. 12, 2001 Former ISU Track Standouts Knight & Carr Still Running Pocatello, Ida. - Former Idaho State University Track & Field standouts Bryce Knight and Emry Carr, who both completed their eligibility at ISU in May, are both still making noise in running circles. Knight, who competed in the Can-Am High Performance Series early this summer, is currently back in Pocatello, after spending late summer in Europe, competing in middle-distance races and rabbitting several developmental longer-distance races. He finished fifth (in 1:50.26) in the 800 meters in the Gala in Malmo, Sweden, and paced four other races - the Weltklasse in Zurich, Switzerland; the 25th Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, Belgium; and two Italian meets. In his final two pacing assignments, Knight led the field to meet records. Knight hopes to return to compete next summer as well, after competing in the US indoor circuit starting in January. Carr has joined a running
club in Michigan, and competed in his first 10-mile race last week. He
finished 14th, but his final five miles were faster than his first five
miles. Carr will be continuing to train, with an important cross country
race looming in the future. Carr is planning to return to Pocatello next
year.
For Immediate Release Sept. 12, 2001 ISU Tracksters Emily Mulick and Gabor Hajdu Earn Academic Honors Pocatello - Former Idaho State track standouts Emily Mulick, a senior last year, and freshman Gabor Hajdu, who competed in the outdoor season last year, have both earned all-academic nods from the United States Track Coaches Association. To qualify, individuals had to post a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and to have participated in the NCAA Championships. Mulick and Gabor were two of the 302 individuals nationwide to earn the honor. Mulick finished with a 3.5 GPA, while Hajdu has a 3.3 GPA. Hajdu, from Hungary, is the Idaho State University school record-holder in the javelin and finished second in the Big Sky Championships in the event. He was 17th in the NCAA Championships. Mulick, from Pocatello,
is the school record-holder in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, and
competed in the Olympic Trials in the event.
ISU’s Maureen Griffin Finishes 18th at World University Games Beijing, China - Idaho State University’s Track & Field standout Maureen Griffin threw 191’-10” to finish 18th in qualifying in the women’s hammer throw at the 21st annual World University Games that today, missing the cut for the finals. Griffin was 18th, and the top 12 marks made the finals. Griffin won both the
Big Sky weight throw and hammer throw titles last year, setting conference
records in each event. Griffin was the 1997, 1998 & 1999 USA Junior
champion. She also still holds the national prep records for the Hammer
Throw and the Weight Throw, both accomplished at Pocatello High School
before she graduated in 1998. She then went to the University of Arizona,
where in 1999 she won the Pac-10 title in the hammer as a freshman and
went on to place eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She transferred
to Idaho State for the 2001 season, earning her second NCAA All-American
award by finishing fourth at the 2001 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The 20-year-old
Griffin (she turns 21 on October 6) has already competed in seven USA National
Championships, five USA Junior Championships and three NCAA Championships.
ISU’s Maureen Griffin
to Compete
Pocatello, ID - Idaho State University’s Track & Field standout Maureen Griffin will be one of only two collegians representing the United States in the women’s hammer throw at the 21st annual World University Games that start today in Beijing, China. Griffin will compete in the event preliminaries on August 28, and if she advances, the finals on August 30. Griffin, who finished fourth in the women’s hammer throw in the recent USA Outdoor National Championships with a personal-best toss of 211’-2”, was invited to the women’s hammer competition along with Melissa Price, who finished six feet and one place ahead of Griffin at the USA Nationals. Griffin won both the
Big Sky weight throw and hammer throw titles last year, setting conference
records in each event. Griffin was the 1997, 1998 & 1999 USA Junior
champion. She also still holds the national prep records for the Hammer
Throw and the Weight Throw, both accomplished at Pocatello High School
before she graduated in 1998. She then went to the University of Arizona,
where in 1999 she won the Pac-10 title in the hammer as a freshman and
went on to place eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She transferred
to Idaho State for the 2001 season, earning her second NCAA All-American
award by finishing fourth at the 2001 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The 20-year-old
Griffin (she turns 21 on October 6) has already competed in seven USA National
Championships, five USA Junior Championships and three NCAA Championships.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 9, 2001 Area Standouts Join Idaho State Track & Field for 2001-02 season Pocatello, Ida. - Several area high school and junior college standouts are set to join the Idaho State University track & field program for the upcoming 2001-02 season, head coach Dave Nielsen announced. Chief among the new recruits are a bevy of Idaho high school products, such as Snake River High School’s Melissa Griffiths. The former Panther won both the pole vault and triple jump at the 2001 A2 State High School Championships, also finishing fourth in the long jump. As a junior she also won the triple jump, whilke finishing second in the state in the pole vault, third in the long jump and fifth in the high jump. Firth’s Candie Clayson is also set to join the ranks, after finishing ninth and eighth, respectivelty, in the last two A3 State Cross Country Championships. In her senior season she also finished third in the State A3 3,200 meters and fourth in the 1,600 meters. Also set to suit up for the women is Troutdale, Oregon’s Krystal Saling, who was State runner-up in the girl’s pole vault last year. Another major acquisition will be Rachel Squires, a Blackfoot grad a few years back who has spent the past two years at North Idaho College. As a freshman, Squires was third in the hammer, fifth in the shot put and sixth in the discus at the conference championships, and last year she was second in both the hammer and discus and third in the shot put. She then finished third in the weight throw and fourth in the shot put at the 2001 NJCAA Indoor Championships, and sixth in the hammer at the 2001 National Outdoor JC Championships. On the men’s side, on of the top local talents will be Preston’s Blaise Burns. He won the A2 State boys high jump and triple jump championships as a senior and finished sixth in the long jump. As a junior he finished fourth in the triple jump. Sprinters Brian Scott of Malad, Josh Hansen of Idaho Falls, Tim Maxfield of Minico, and Highland’s Jacob Chandler will also be wearing the orange and black next season. Scott was fifth in the 200 and ninth in the 100 at the State A3 track championships, while Hansen was third in the 200 and seventh on the A1 level. Maxfield was 10th in the 400 at the A12 championships, and Chandler was 16th in the A1 200. Grant Baron of Snake River finished second in the State A2 3,200 meters as a senior and third in the State Cross Country Championships. He also was sixth in this year’s 1,600, and ran 11th in the 1999 A2 boys Cross Country championships. Pocatello High School’s Ben Layman will also sign on, as he finished as the State A1 runner-up in the high jump and was ninth in the long jump. Joining former high school teammate Maxfield is Minico’s T.J. Anderson, who finished 15th in last year’s A1 triple jump. From Battle Mountain comes last year’s Nevada High Schol 2A 800 meter runner-up Jacob Gunter, and transferring over from Southern Oregon University is the two-time Cascade Collegiate Conference javelin champion Jeff Bentley, who also finished third and seventhth in the last two NAIA National Meets. Bentley was an NAIA All-American for the third-place effort two years ago. Bentley is a great all-around athlete who, in addition to finishing second in the State of Oregon in the javelin as a senior in high school, was also an All-State football player both offensively and defensively and played football collegiately at Willamette University.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 7, 2001 Idaho State Track & Field Lands European Junior Elite Pocatello, Ida. - The Idaho State University Track & Field Program has signed Ivan Luchianov for the upcoming season. Luchianov, from Moldova, will have four full years of collegiate competition, and is expected to compete in the middle distance and 3,000-meter steeplechase for ISU. The 20-year-old Luchianov
(d.o.b. 1/31/81) is a veteran of European Junior elite competitions, having
placed 11th in the steeplechase last October in the IAAF World Junior Championshiops.
He also recorded the best European Junior time in 2000 in the steeplechase,
8:34.5 in Chisinau, Moldova. that time is 13 seconds faster than the existing
ISU school record in the event. Luchianov has risen as high as #4 on the
World Junior lists for the event. In 1999, he recorded the seventh-best
European Junior time, 8:50.76.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 1, 2001 Griffin to Compete in World University Games in Late August Pocatello, Ida. - Idaho State University’s Track & Field standout Maureen Griffin will be one of only two collegians representing the United States in the women’s hammer throw at the 21st annual World University Games August 21-Sept. 1 in Beijing, China. Griffin, who finished fourth in the women’s hammer throw in the recent USA Outdoor National Championships with a personal-best toss of 211’-2”, was invited to the women’s hammer competition along with Melissa Price, who finished six feet and one place ahead of Griffin at the USA Nationals. Two other regional collegiate athletes, Boise State’s Jarred Rome and Utah State’s James Parker, may also participate in the World University Games in the men’s strength events. Parker will compete in the men’s hammer, where he finished third in the USA Outdoor Nationals, and Rome in the discus, where he finished fifth at those USA Nationals. Griffin won both the
Big Sky weight throw and hammer throw titles last year, setting conference
records in each event. Griffin was the 1997 & 1998 USA Junior champion.
She also still holds the national prep records for the Hammer Throw and
the Weight Throw, both accomplished at Pocatello High School before she
graduated in 1998. She then went to the University of Arizona, where in
1999 she won the Pac-10 title in the hammer as a freshman and went on to
place eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She transferred to Idaho
State for the 2001 season, earning her second NCAA All-American award by
finishing fourth at the 2001 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The 20-year-old
Griffin (she turns 21 on October 6) has already competed in seven USA National
Championships, four USA Junior Championships and three NCAA Championships.
ISU’S MERKLEY EARNS NCAA CONTINUING EDUCATION GRANT Indianapolis, Ind. - Former ISU track & field standout Hillary Merkley has received a 2001 NCAA Continuing Education grant Merkley was Big Sky All-Academic six times in her ISU career (three times for Indoor track & field, and three times for Outdoor track & field), currently has a 3.65 GPA, and plans to use the NCAA grant to pursue further study in the field of Secondary Education/Physical Education. Merkley is one of 237 athletes nationwide to qualify for the NCAA grant. It is intended for students who have exhausted their institutional financial aid for athletics, and are within 30 hours of completing their degree requirements. Merkley, from Okanangan, Washington, started her Idaho State athletic career as a walk-on to the women’s basketball team before a knee injury pushed her toward the oval. She earned her fame with ISU track & field, winning the Big Sky Conference Shot Put title in 1999 and the Big Sky Conference Heptathlon title this past May at Davis Field. She was also named the meet’s Outstanding Female Field Athlete. Merkley has 12 of the
top 13 shot put marks in school history, owns the school record in the
Pentathlon, the school and Davis Field records for the Heptathlon, and
ran the anchor leg on the second-fastest 4x400 relay squads in school history.
She also owns the second-fastest 400-meter hurdles time in school history.
She was All-Conference four times: in 1998 in the Heptathlon; in 1999 in
the Shot Put; and in 2001 in both the Heptathlon and the 400-meter Hurdles.
Former ISU Track
Star Bryce Knight Places Second
Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Former ISU Track standout Bryce Knight, running for Team USA, clocked 1:46.60 to finish second in the McGill Invitational, the third and final leg of the 2001 CanAm High Performance Distance Running Circuit in the Northeastern USA and Eastern Canada. Knight posted a personal record his last time out, and then lowered that again Tuesday night in Montreal. Knight, who just finished his ISU career in June, was a two-time NCAA All-American in the 800 meters, finishing second in the 2001 Outdoor Championships and sixth in the 2000 Indoor Championships. Knight also won the 2001 Golden Spike Invitational, finished fourth at the 2001 USA Indoor Championships and 12th at the USA Outdoor Championships. In his ISU career, Knight won four Big Sky 800-meter titles (three outdoor crowns and one indoor title). Below is Knight’s
summer schedule and results
Idaho State Track & Field Lands Pair of Montana Standouts Pocatello, Ida. - The Idaho State University Track & Field Program has signed a pair of Montana high school standouts, Michael Estes of Anaconda and Brad Milam of Belgrade. Estes in expected to be a javelin thrower and multi-event specialist, while Milan will sign on in the javelin only. Between them, the pair has notched one All-American honor, two school records and six All-State awards. Both Estes and Milam will compete for ISU next season. Estes is a High School All-American and four-time All-State pick in Montana. A school record-holder in both the pole vault (13-6”) and the javelin (213’), Estes won the Montana High School Class A state title this past year at 211-11”) and finished his senior year ranked third nationally in the javelin. Milam, a 200-foot javelin thrower, was twice all-state in high school and finished third in the state meet at 196-10”. As juniors, Estes was second at the state meet (210-8”0 and Milam was fifth (181-10”). Estes also took part
in the 2001 Golden West Invitational in Sacramento, a prep meet against
many of the best high school throwers in the West, finishing eighth (192-2”).
GRIFFIN 4th in HAMMER
THROW AT USA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Eugene, Ore. - Idaho
State University’s Track & Field standout Maureen Griffin finished
4th in the women’s hammer throw final Friday afternoon at Hayward Field
in Eugene in the 2001 GMC Envoy Outdoor National Championships. Griffin,
who will be entering her junior year at ISU next season, threw a career-best
211-02”. Recently graduated ISU seniors Bryce Knight and Emry Carr both
competed in the semifinals of their respective events, with neither advancing
to the finals. Knight finished 12th in the semifinals of the 800
meters, running 1:50.21. Carr finished 23rd in the 3,000-meter steeplechase,
running 8:59.10, only his second run ever under nine minutes in the event.
Competition Schedule
KNIGHT, CARR &
GRIFFIN TO COMPETE IN USA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Three Idaho State University Track & Field athletes will compete in the 2001 GMC Envoy USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships June 21-24 in Eugene, Oregon, the same site where the three excelled in the recent NCAA Outdoor Championships. Bryce Knight finished second in the NCAA 800 Meters, running a school-record 1:47.22. Maureen Griffin finished fourth in the NCAA Hammer Throw with a toss of 207-11”, her second-best mark ever. Emry Carr ran a 9:00.36 in the 3,000-Meter Steeplechase to finish 16th at the NCAA Championships. It is the first USA National Championship appearance for Carr, but it will be a repeat performance for both Knight and Griffin. Knight finished fourth in the USA National Indoor Championships in the 800 Meters March 2-3 in Atlanta. Griffin finished eighth in the Weight Throw at those same championships in Atlanta. In previous elite competition, Knight won the 800 at the Golden Spike Invitational in Holt Arena in February, and Griffin finished eighth in the Hammer Throw competition in the Olympic Trials last year in Sacramento in July. Below are the marks
each recorded in the NCAA Championships, the Personal Best recorded by
each in that event, and the Competition Schedule of the three at the upcoming
USA National Championships.
Athlete
Event
Personal Best NCAA Mark NCAA Championship Finish
Competition Schedule
Maureen Griffin Friday, June 22, 3:10 pm Hammer Throw FINAL Emry Carr
Friday, June 22, 4:28 pm 3,000m Steeplechase
1st Round
GRIFFIN GETS FOURTH IN HAMMER AT NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS Eugene, Ore. - ISU
sophomore Maureen Griffin finished fourth at the NCAA Outdoor Track &
Field Championships at Hayward Field Saturday, earning All-American honors
by being the second-place Anerican-born finisher. Griffin’s toss of 207-11”
broke her own school and Big Sky records.
Bengals at NCAA
Track & Field Championships
Event 39 Women's Hammer Throw
Eugene, Ore. - ISU senior Bryce Knight finished second in the men’s 800 meters Friday night at Hayward Field, on Day 3 of the 2001 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, earning his second All-America honor, after finishing sixth in the same event at the 2000 Indoor NCAA Championships. Knight ran a PR and school-record 1:47.22. He was ranked 15th of the 18 runners in the 800 prior to the meet. Only Maureen Griffin remains to compete for ISU, as her final competes in the hammer throw is slated for Saturday at 3:00 pm Pacific.
Event 4 Men's 800 Meter Run
RANK COMP# ATHLETE NAME
YR SCHOOL
TIME PTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 31, 2001 CARR 16th IN SEMIFINALS OF MEN’S 3,000-METER STEEPLECHASE AT NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS Eugene, Ore. - ISU senior Emry Carr finished 16th in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase Thursday night at Hayward Field, on Day 2 of the 2001 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Carr failed by less than 12 seconds to advance to the finals of the event, as only the top 12 runners moved on. Carr ran the race in 9:00.36, just 1.38 seconds off his personal best. Only two ISU athletes
remain alive, as Bryce Knight competes in the finals of the 800 meters
Friday night at 6:10 pm Pacific, and Maureen Griffin competes in the hammer
throw final Saturday at 3:00 pm Pacific.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 30, 2001 KNIGHT EARNS 2nd
ALL-AMERICAN HONOR, QUALIFIES FOR 800 METER FINAL AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Eugene, Ore. - Wednesday night at Hayward Field, on Day 1 of the 2001 NCAA Track & Field Championships, Bryce Knight qualified for the 800 meter finals by winning his heat while running a 1:48.30, the sixth-best time in the semifinals. Knight, who was ranked 15th going into the semifinals, is one of only eight finalists running the 800 meter final Friday evening. Even before running the final, he has already gained All-American status by virtue of being one of the top eight Americans. It is the second All-American honor for Knight, who finished sixth in the 2000 NCAA Indoor Championships. Emily Mulick, who ran 10:51.12, was 16th in the semifinals of the 3,000-meter steeplechase and did not advance to the finals. Only the top 12 made it to the finals. The third Bengal competing Wednesday, Gabor Hajdu, threw the javelin 205’-5” for 17th place. Maureen Griffin and
Emry Carr are due to compete in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase and
the women’s hammer throw, respectively, on Saturday. Carr’s Saturday appearance
is contingent upon him advancing in Thursday night’s semifinals.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 25, 2001 FIVE ELITE ISU TRACKSTERS
HEADED TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN EUGENE
Five of the best athletes from ISU’s Track & Field program will be headed to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Wednesday-Saturday, May 30-June 2. The five will leave this weekend for Eugene. ISU’s contingent of five athletes represent the largest number of Bengal qualifiers for the NCAA outdoor championships since 1980. A total of 776 athletes (388 men and 388 women) will compete in the championships. Athletes qualify by reaching the automatic and provisional standards established for each event. Stanford is the defending men’s champion, while LSU is the defending women’s champion. ISU had two automatic qualifiers, in Maureen Griffin and Emily Mulick. In addition, Bryce Knight, Gabor Hajdu and Emry Carr made the field. For Griffin, Knight and Carr, it is a return trip to the NCAAs. Counting Indoor NCAA Championships, this will be the third time for Griffin and the second time for both Knight and Carr. In previous NCAA Championship events, Knight was sixth in the 800 meters at the 2000 indoor championships, Carr was 15th in the 5,000 meters at the 2001 indoor championships in March, and Griffin finished 11th in the weight throw at the 2001 indoor championships and eighth in the hammer throw at the 1999 outdoor championships. The NCAA selection committee for the championships took the top 17 individuals in each event, then added provisional qualifiers to round out the field of 388. The selection committee took as few as 18 individuals (men’s 1,500 meter run and 3,000 meter steeplechase) and as many as 24 (women’s 200 meter dash). Griffin has the potential for the best ISU showing at the NCAAs. She is ranked fifth in the nation collegiately in the hammer throw, and was eighth in the event at the Olympic Trials last summer. Knight, an All-American with a sixth-place finish in the indoor 800 championships last year, finished fourth at the US Nationals a few months back, is also a threat. He’ll have to run well, however, as 13 members of the field have recorded times this season which are better than his personal best. Below are the ISU athletes headed to the NCAAs and their national rank: Athlete
Event
Top Mark NCAA Championship
Rank
The following ISU athletes were not selected for the NCAA Championship field, but had national rankings: Athlete
Event Top Mark
NCAA Rank
BENGAL ASSISTANT COACH STACY DRAGILA TO COMPETE AT PREFONTAINE, ADIDAS MEETS IN OREGON NEXT TWO WEEKS Pocatello, Ida. -- Former Idaho State University athlete and current ISU assistant coach Stacy Dragila will compete in the Prefontaine Classic and the adidas Oregon Track Classic in Eugene and Portland, Oregon, the next two weekends. The first-ever gold medal winner in the women’s pole vault and the World Record holder both indoors and outdoors (4.70m, 15-5”) will compete in the Prefontaine Sunday, May 27, and in the adidas meet Sunday, June 3. In her latest competition Dragila jumped 13-9.25” amid swirling winds at the IAAF Japan Grand Prix in Osaka 2001 on May 12 to finish fourth. Below is a tentative summer schedule for Dragila: Dragila Summer 2001
Schedule
WEBER STATE WINS
TRACK & FIELD TITLES AT BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Pocatello, Ida. -- Weber State took both the men’s and women’s titles at the 2001 Big Sky Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Davis Field, and Wildcat Charles Clinger became the all-time leader in men’s scoring in the history of conference outdoor championships with two firsts and a second to bring his career total to 80 points. Clinger earned his third straight Big Sky Conference Championship Field Athlete of the Meet award in the process. Weber State’s women wrapped up the title with a few events to go, but the Weber State men’s title was in hand, but not secure, until Jeff Tingey ran the winning anchor leg on the men’s 4x400 relay, the final event of the day. By sweeping the top three places in the final scored men’s event, the pole vault, ISU finished in fourth, while the ISU women finished in third place, just 1.8 points behind runner-up Montana State. FINAL STANDINGS
2001 Big Sky Outdoor Track & Field Championship
Big Sky Female Track
Athlete of the Meet - Rebecca Bennion, Weber State
Big Sky Female Field
Athlete of the Meet - Hillary Merkley, Idaho State
Big Sky Male Track
Athlete of the Meet - Joel Atwater, Weber State
Big Sky Male Field
Athlete of the Meet - Charles Clinger, Weber State
WEBER STATE IN LEAD
AT BIG SKY TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Pocatello, Ida. -- There were only a few championships decided on Friday at Davis Field in Day Three of the 2001 Big Sky Outdoor Track & Field Championships, but Weber State took advantage on both the men’s and women’s side to jump into first place going into the final day of competition Saturday. The Wildcat men, searching for their fourth straight outdoor title, lead Cal State Northridge and Eastern Washington by eight points, while the Wildcat women own a 3.5-point lead over the Bengals. The day was mostly filled with preliminaries to pare the field down for the final championship events on Saturday, but among the events in which individual titles were decided on Friday, Weber State’s Brooke Cottle won her fourth consecutive Big Sky outdoor high jump title, Weber’s Rebecca Bennion won the first-ever Big Sky 3,000-meter steeplechase for women, and in the final event of the day Northern Arizona’s Juwan Nuvayokua ran away from the field in the men’s 10,000 meters. Saturday’s events get
underway at 9:00 am with the women’s hammer throw at Bartz Field, with
the first event at Davis Field, the men’s high jump featuring the nation’s
top jumper in Charles Clinger of Weber State, due to begin at 9:30 am.
Strong Day Two Performances
Have Idaho State in Lead for both Men and Women at 2001 Big Sky Outdoor
Track and Field Championships
Pocatello, Ida.---Montana’s Bryan Anderson bent but didn’t break as he won the 2001 decathlon at the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, but Idaho State holds the team lead after Tom Burnham and Eric Bell finished second and fourth respectively. On the women’s side, Hillary Merkley won the final event, the 800-meter, and finished second in the long jump to retain her day one lead and win the women’s heptathlon, leading ISU’s charge on the women’s side as ISU had four athletes finish in the top eight finishers. Weber State’s Kellie Clinger finished second, followed by Shannon Sinn and Jackie Poulson of Idaho State. Idaho State has 13 points on the men’s side, leading Eastern Washington and Montana by three each. On the women’s side, the Bengals own a 22-10 advantage over Weber State. The championships continue Friday with the men’s hammer throw at 12:00 pm. Complete results from
the 2001 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships can be
accessed on the web at
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 16, 2001 Montana’s Anderson, Idaho State’s Merkley Lead After First Day of Big Sky Championships Pocatello, Ida. -- Montana’s Bryan Anderson overtook Eastern Washington’s Eric Boyd on the final event of the day and leads the decathlon after day one of the 2001 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, being held at Idaho State University’s Davis Field. On the women’s side favorite Hillary Merkley sits onto of the leaderboard after the first four events of the heptathlon. Action continues on Thursday at 11:00 am with the remaining five events of the decathlon (110 hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and the 1500) and the heptathlon’s final three events (long jump, javelin, and 800) start at noon. Eric Boyd of Eastern Washington lead after each of the first four events of the day, but fell to third after placing 10th out of 11 competitors in the 400-meter, the day’s fifth event. Anderson had been solid throughout the day, finishing in the top four in all four events, including a share of first in the high jump at 6-feet-3 1/2 inches. Eastern Washington’s David Sargent is in second place, followed by Boyd and then Idaho State’s Tom Burnham. Sargent finished in the top four in four of the events, and Burnham pushed into the top four with a win in the 400-meter dash to end the day. Merkley overtook Kellie Clinger for the heptathlon lead after her toss on the shot put outdistanced everyone in the field by nearly 10 feet. She then finished third in the 200-meter to end the day. Clinger, who led after two events, won the 200 and the high jump, but finished tied for 13th in the shot put, giving away 267 points to Merkley. Merkley leads Clinger by 205 points. In third is Idaho State’s Shannon Sinn, who rebounded after finishing tied for 12th in the high jump, one of her better events. She won the 100-hurdles, and finished second in the 200. Northern Arizona’s Stephanie Robertson is in fourth. Complete results from
the 2001 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships can be
accessed on the web at http://www.isu.edu/Track2001BigSkyOutdoor.htm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 5, 2001 BENGAL TRACKSTERS
FINISH SECOND BEHIND POWERHOUSE BYU AT
Provo, Utah. -- The Idaho State University men’s and women’s track & field teams performed very well this weekend, finishing second overall to homestanding powerhouse BYU in the final team tallies. ISU had six athletes win individual events, along with one school record broken. The new school record belonged to Gabor Hajdu, who won the javelin and threw 217-2” on his last throw of the day. It marked the third time this season he has bested the old school mark. In addition, Brandy Oliver won the 5,000 merters, Heather Glenn won Friday’s pole vault, Maureen Griffin won the hammer throw, Hiliary Huntsinger won the triple jump with the second-best mark in school history (41-3.25”), Bryce Knight won the 1,500 and Emry Carr won the 3,000 meters. WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES: 1. BYU, 186; 2. Idaho State, 83; 3. Nevada, 82; 4. Utah State, 77; 5. Utah, 60; 6. Weber State, 24.50; 7. Southern Utah, 12; 8. Utah Valley State, 4. MEN'S TEAM SCORES:
1. BYU, 208; 2. Idaho State, 94; 3. Utah State, 86; 4. Weber State,
59; 5. Southern Utah, 10; 6. Utah, 8; 7. College of Eastern Utah, 4.
ISU’S MERKLEY AND CARR BREAK SCHOOL RECORDS TO EARN BIG SKY TRACK HONORS Ogden, Utah. -- For the fourth straight week, Idaho State picked up two Big Sky Track Athlete of the Week awards, as Hillary Merkley was honored for tying the school record in the Heptathlon at the ISU Springfest with 5,273 points. Emry Carr won his third award for breaking the school record in the 10,000-meter run, 29:23.40, finishing second of 33 runners at the prestigious Penn Relays. Merkley set personal
season bests in five events and won the shot put with a toss of 47-10.5,
which is the best in the Big Sky this year. Merkley’s point total ties
for the seventh-best all-time in conference history and is
Merkley’s and Carr’s
awards mark the 30th and 31st conference awards for ISU athletes this year.
The ISU track program has produced 12 of the awards.
THREE ISU SCHOOL
RECORDS, SEVEN DAVIS FIELD RECORDS FALL AT ISU SPRINGFEST
Pocatello, Ida. -- The three-day Idaho State Springfest was highlighted by three school records and seven Davis Field records falling by the wayside, with two ISU school records and four field records falling on the final day, Saturday. Gabor Hajdu broke the field and school record with a 214-11” toss in the javelin, while Alena Munger blazed to an 11.95 clocking in the 100, breaking her own school record, set last year at this meet. On Friday Hillary Merkley tied the school record and broke the field with a Heptathlon total of 5,273 points. Davis Field records were also set in the men’s Decathlon (by Montana’s Adam Bork), the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase (Kira Thompson of Southern Utah), the 100 and 400-meter hurdles by Kelly Miller of Southern Utah, the triple jump (ISU’s Hilary Huntsinger, who also won the long jump), and Stacy Dragila in the pole vault (she set the World Record at 15-5” Friday night). Also on Saturday, the ISU 4 x 800 meter relay team of Colby Matter, Mark VanOrden, Nate Renner and Bryce Knight finished third at the Prestigious Penn Relays. 4x800m Championship
of America
Complete results of ISU meet follow: ISU SPRINGFEST
Women's 100 Meter
PLACE
ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
TIME
Women's 200 Meter
PLACE ATHLETE
NAME
TEAM
TIME HT
Women's 800 Meter
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
TIME HT
Women's 1,500 Meter
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
TIME
Women's 100 Meter hurdles
PLACE ATHLETE
NAME
TEAM
TIME HT
Women's 400 Meter hurdles
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
TIME HT
Women's 3,000 Meter Steeplechase
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
TIME
Women's 4x100 Meter Relay
PLACE RELAY AFFILIATION
TIME
Women's 4x400 Meter Relay
PLACE RELAY AFFILIATION
TIME
Women's High Jump
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
MARK
Women's Pole Vault
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
MARK
Women's Long Jump
PLACE ATHLETE
NAME
TEAM
MARK
Women's Triple Jump
PLACE ATHLETE
NAME
TEAM
MARK
Women's Shot Put
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
MARK
Women's Discus Throw
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
MARK
Women's Hammer Throw
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
MARK
Women's Javelin Throw
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
MARK
Women's Heptathlon
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
PTS
Men's 100 Meter
PLACE ATHLETE
NAME
TEAM
TIME HT
Men's 200 Meter
PLACE ATHLETE
NAME
TEAM
TIME HT
Men's 400 Meter
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
TIME HT
Men's 800 Meter
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
TIME HT
Men's 1,500 Meter
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
TIME HT
Men's 5,000 Meter
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
TIME
Men's 110 Meter hurdles
PLACE ATHLETE
NAME
TEAM
TIME HT
Men's 400 Meter hurdles
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
TIME HT
Men's 3,000 Meter Steeplechase
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
TIME
Men's 4x100 Meter Relay
PLACE RELAY AFFILIATION
TIME
Men's High Jump
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
MARK
Men's Pole Vault
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
MARK
Men's Long Jump
PLACE ATHLETE
NAME
TEAM
MARK
Men's Triple Jump
PLACE ATHLETE
NAME
TEAM
MARK
Men's Shot Put
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
MARK
Men's Discus Throw
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
MARK
Men's Hammer Throw
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
MARK
Men's Javelin Throw
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
MARK
Men's Decathlon
PLACE ATHLETE NAME
TEAM
PTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2001 MERKLEY BREAKS DAVIS FIELD RECORD,
TIES SCHOOL RECORD IN WINNING HEPTATHLON TITLE AT ISU SPRINGFEST
Pocatello, Ida. -- Hillary Merkley of the the Idaho State University track & field program obliterated the Davis Field record by 966 points and tied the school record by scoring 5,273 points in winning the Heptathlon title at the ISU Springfest, and less than an hour later Stacy Dragila broke her own world record with a pole vault of 15-5”. ISU’s Andy Wilke unleashed the third-longest discus throw in school history to win the event at 171-5”, and Michelle Railsback went 11-10” in the pole vault for the third-best school mark. Fellow ISU multi-event specialist Shannon Sinn finished second in the Heptathon, while Bengal Tom Burnham was third in the Decathlon, which was won with a Davis Field-record 7,470 points by Montana’s Adam Bork. FINAL Decathlon Standings
FINAL Heptathlon Standings
Women's Pole Vault
Finals Results - Friday 04/27/01
Women's Shot Put
Finals Results - Friday 04/27/01
Women's Javelin Throw
Finals Results - Friday 04/27/01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2001 MAUREEN GRIFFIN WINS HAMMER THROW; EMRY CARR SECOND IN 10,000 METERS; EMILY MULICK 13th IN STEEPLECHASE AT PENN RELAYS Philadelphia, Penn. -- Three of Idaho State’s elite track & field athletes competed in the Penn Relays Thursday, with Maureen Griffin winning the hammer throw at 205-4”, Emry Carr broke the ISU school record and finished second in the 10,000 meters and Emily Mulick was 13th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Hammer Throw Championship
10,000m Run Championship
3,000m Steeplechase Championship
HILLARY MERKLEY LEADS AT HALFWAY
POINT OF HEPTATHLON AT ISU SPRINGFEST
Pocatello, Ida. -- Hillary Merkley of the The Idaho State University track & field program leads the Heptathlon competition at the halfway point, thanks to a 47-10.5” effort in winning the shot put, the second-best ISU mark ever. Shannon Sinn is in second in the Heptathon after winning the 100 hurdles and the 200 dash, and Tom Burnham is in fifth in the Decathlon, with a second-place effort in the 400 (49.50) his best showing of the day. Decathlon Standings
04/26/00 6:23 PM
ISU SPRINGFEST
Page 1
Event 58 Decathlon Men Results Name
Points 100
LJ SP
HJ 400 Day 1 110HH
DT PV
JT 1500
Heptathlon Standings
04/26/00 6:16 PM
ISU SPRINGFEST
Event 57 Heptathlon Women Results
Name
Points 100HH HJ
SP 200 Day 1
LJ JT
800
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2001 ISU’S GRIFFIN AND MULICK BREAK
BIG SKY RECORDS
Ogden, Utah. -- For the third straight week, Idaho State picked up two Big Sky Track Athlete of the Week awards, as Maureen Griffin was honored for breaking the Big Sky record in the hammer throw with a toss of 206-2”. No other Big Sky female athlete besides Griffin has ever exceeded 198’. Emily Mulick won for breaking the school and Big Sky records in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, beating her own school record by nearly 11 seconds at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California, and topping the Big Sky list by almost five seconds.. Griffin’s award was her fifth this season, and she has broken the Big Sky records in the weight throw and the hammer (twice). Mulick timed 10:18.54 in her race. Both automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships. Griffin and Mulick’s awards mark
the 28th and 29th conference awards for ISU athletes this year. The ISU
track program has produced 10 of the awards.
BENGALS MAUREEN GRIFFIN, EMILY
MULICK AND BRYCE KNIGHT
Walnut, Calif. -- A number of the Idaho State track & field’s best performers competed in the 43rd annual Mt. SAC Relays over the weekend, highlighted by three record-shattering performances by Maureen Griffin, Emily Mulick and Bryce Knight. Mulick broke the 3,000-meter steeplechase by nearly 11 seconds with a 10:18.54 clocking. The time, the best in the Big Sky this year, also automatically qualified her for the NCAA Championships. Knight ran the 800 meters in the elite division (rather than the collegiate division) and finshed with a time of 1:48.01, breaking his own school record in the process. The time is also a provisional qualifier for the NCAAs. Griffin broke the Big Sky Conference record in the hammer throw for the second time this year, throwing 206-2”. In addition, Emry Carr became only
the second ISU man ever to go under 14 minutes for the 5,000 meters, clocking
a 13:59.38, good for sixth place. Carr earned provisional status for the
NCAA Championships with his effort. Gabor Hajdu threw 202’ in the javelin,
Nate Renner picked up second in the 800-meter collegiate division with
a 1:49.16 clocking, Hiliary Huntsinger went 40-2” in the triple jump and
in the pole vault Pat Deming and Kevin Capps cleared 16-7” and 16-2”, respectively.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 21, 2001 BENGAL WOMEN’S RELAY TEAMS BLAZE
TO SCHOOL RECORD AT
Logan, Utah -- The Idaho State University women’s relay teams raced to two victories in Saturday’s Mark Faldmo Open, including a new school record. The 4 x 400 relay team set a new school record with a 3:48.69 clocking, and had the second-fastest time ever in the 4 x 100 relay, blazing to a 46.74 time. ISU also had several outstanding
performances in individual events, as Selena Frazier won the 400, Ben Allen
won the triple jump, Alena Munger finished second in the 100, Heather Glenn
was second in the pole vault, Kim Scott was second in the triple jump,
Tanya Eich was second in the discus, and Colby Matter was runner-up in
the 800.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 17, 2001 ISU’S FRAZIER AND CARR EARN BIG SKY TRACK HONORS Ogden, Utah. -- For the second time in as many weeks, Idaho State picked up two Big Sky Track Athlete of the Week awards, as Emry Carr was honored for breaking the stadium record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and Selena Frazier won for breaking the school record in the 200 meters, both accomplished this past Saturday at the Weber State Invitational. Carr ran a 8:58.98 at Stewart Stadium, an Provisional Qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships. Frazier’s time of 24.33 in the 200 broke the old record of 24.42, set in 1988 by Terri Jones. Carr’s and Frazier’s awards mark
the 26th and 27th conference awards for ISU athletes this year. The ISU
track program has produced eight of the awards.
CARR, ISU TRACKSTERS SHINE AT WEBER STATE INVITATIONAL SATURDAY Ogden, Utah -- Led by a new stadium record and NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark from Emry Carr and a new school record from Selena Frazier, the Idaho State track & field team had several outstanding performances Saturday at the Weber State Invitational. Carr took the 3,000-meter Steeplechase in 8:58.74, breaking the old stadium mark of 9:02.02 set by Montana State’s Miguel Gelena in 1998. Frazier ran the 200 in 24.33, breaking the 1988 record of 24.42 set by Terri Jones.Both the Idaho State women and men ended up fifth among the teams competing. Bryce Knight won the 400 in 48.19; Pat Deming won the pole vault in 17-0, tying the stadium mark set by his brother Steve in 1998; Dan Lai won the long jump with a leap of 22-5; Gabor Hajdu was second in the javelin at 200-10; and Casey Crumrine was second in the 5,000 in 14:52.03. On the women’s side, Hiliary Huntsinger won the triple jump at 40-3 and Emily Mulick was second in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase in 11:07.86. ISU competed against BYU, Colorado
State, Weber State, Boise State, Montana State, Utah, Utah State and Utah
Valley State.
ISU’S GRIFFIN AND KNIGHT EARN BIG SKY TRACK HONORS Ogden, Utah. -- Idaho State sophomore Maureen Griffin earned her fourth Big Sky Conference Female Track & Field Athlete of the Week award (and second consecutive) for throwing the hammer 198-5” at the Al Manuel Invitational in Missoula Saturday, breaking the school record she set last week and the Big Sky Conference record. ISU Senior Bryce Knight also earned conference honors after he won the 800 meters in 1:48.15, breaking the Dornblaser Stadium record he set last year. Both Griffin and Knight provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships with their efforts. Griffin and Knight’s awards mark
the 24th and 25th conference awards for ISU athletes this year. Knight’s
800 time is the third best in the nation this year, while Griffin’s throw
is the #7 effort nationally.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 11, 2001 ISU TRACKSTERS TO COMPETE AT |