May 11, 2009

Weekly Track & Field Notes: Big Sky Outddor Championships

COMING UP
The Bengals head to Missoula, Mont., to compete in the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships on May 13-16.

REVIEW
ISU athletes competed in the SUU Invitational held in Cedar City, Utah, on Saturday, May 2, and several of the athletes also traveled to a "last chance" meet in Salt Lake City on May 5. Three new NCAA regional marks were attained during those two meets, and one was improved upon.

THIS WEEK
The Bengals will square off with Big Sky conference foes Eastern Washington, Montana, Montana State, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento State, Weber State at the 2009 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships on May 13-16 in Missoula, Mont. The meet is hosted by the University of Montana.

JONES, KELLER NAMED BIG SKY MEN'S ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Sergio Jones was named Big Sky Men's Track Athlete of the Week, and Levi Keller earned his second Men's Field Athlete of the Week honor of the season, the Big Sky announced Tuesday, May 5.

Jones, a junior from Beaverton, Ore., ran a time of 21.09 seconds in the 200-meter dash at the SUU Invitational in Cedar City, Utah, the fourth-best mark in school history and tops in the Big Sky Conference this season by .16 seconds. His mark is one of six NCAA regional qualifying marks for the men's team this season.

Keller, a senior from Winnemucca, Nev., shared the honor with Montana State's Kevin Ludwig. Keller cleared 17-00.75 in the pole vault in Cedar City, which is the top mark in the Big Sky by six inches. It's the third straight week Keller has improved his NCAA regional qualifying mark in the event, and his second consecutive Athlete of the Week honor.

Prior to Keller's win last week, Sydney Wendt was the only Idaho State athlete to win Athlete of the Week honors this season, earning Women's Field Athlete of the Week during indoor season. .

RESULTS
Sergio Jones and Eric Strand posted NCAA Regional marks at the SUU Invitational on May 2 in Cedar City, and Mike Arnold added a regional qualifier in the pole vault on May 5 in Salt Lake City. Jones' time of 21.09 is sixth-best in Idaho State history, Strand's mark of 1:50.05 places him 10th on ISU's all-time list, and Arnold's mark of 16-06.75 ties him as the Bengals' 10th-best performed in school history. Several men posted Big Sky qualifiers at the Cedar City meet.

On the women's side, several athletes added Big Sky qualifying marks at the Cedar City meet, and Kylee Gleason improved her pole vault mark to 12-03.50 at the Utah Spring Twilight on May 5.