May 24, 2007

Pocatello, ID--The Idaho State track and field team will send 13 individuals to the NCAA West Regional Track and Field Championships May 25-26 at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene.

The west regional includes competitors from colleges in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The top five finishers in each event will qualify for nationals, along with wildcards.

On the men's side, three athletes have qualified for the event, including John Danielson (shot put), Levi Keller (pole vault), and John Ricardi (steeplechase).

Senior Danielson won the Big Sky Conference outdoor shot put title with a toss of 59 feet, 5 ½ inches. Danielson holds the eighth-best mark in the region this year. Keller, a junior, heads into the pole vault competition with the ninth-best mark in the region. Ricardi, just a sophomore, takes a season-best mark of 9:03.87 into Saturday's steeplechase event.

The reigning outdoor Big Sky champion Idaho State women send 10 athletes to Eugene, including Tiffany Andersen (400m/4x100m), Jessica Hillam (shot put), Jessica Johnson (4x100m), Brittany Rozier (4x100m/100m), Audra Smith (4x100m), Melissa McLimore (800m), Cassie Merkley (javelin), Lois Ricardi (steeplechase), Kasie Scott (pole vault), and Katie Williams (pole vault).

Andersen, who has qualified for two events, helped her 4x100m team qualify for the event after taking the relay title at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships this past month. Andersen also placed second in the 400-meter dash at the championships. McLimore took the 800-meter title at the Big Sky Championships last month with a time of 2:10.05, just short of her season-best time of 2:09.74.

Rozier will also compete in two events at the regional, including the 100-meter dash and the 4x100-meter relay. Rozier took a second place finish at the Big Sky championships with a time of 11.72--a season-best for the freshman sprinter. Scott also took home All-Big Sky honors at the conference championships with a third place finish in the pole vault (12-05.50), which she will compete in at the regional. Williams finished just behind Scott at the conference championships with a fifth place finish, and will also compete in the pole vault at regional.

Merkeley, a multi-event athlete, qualified for the javelin at regional competition after placing fifth this past month at the conference championships. Ricardi will compete in the steeplechase at regional after a seventh place showing at the Big Sky championships, and Hillam has qualified to participate in the shot put after a ninth place finish at the conference championships.

Smith and Johnson each qualified for the 4x100-meter event at the regional after helping the team to the title at the conference championships. Smith and Johnson will join Rozier and Andersen in the event.

NCAA West Regional Track and Field Schedule of Events for Idaho State Participants:

Friday, May 25:
2:00 p.m. Women's Javelin (Cassie Merkley)
4:00 p.m. Men's Pole Vault (Levi Keller)
5:45 p.m. Women's 100-meter prelims (Brittany Rozier)
6:15 p.m. Women's 400-meter prelims (Tiffany Andersen)
6:27 p.m. Women's Shot Put (Jessica Hillam)
6:45 p.m. Women's 800-meter prelims (Melissa McLimore)

Saturday, May 26:
1:45 p.m. Women's Pole Vault (Kasie Scott and Katie Williams)
2:40 p.m. Women's 4x100-meter relay (Jessica Johnson, Brittany Rozier, Audra Smith, Tiffany Andersen)
3:40 p.m. Women's 100-meter finals (Brittany Rozier)
3:50 p.m. Women's 400-meter finals (Tiffany Andersen)
4:00 p.m. Women's 800-meter finals (Melissa McLimore)
4:07 p.m. Men's Shot Put (John Danielson)
4:45 p.m. Men's 3,000 Steeplechase (John Ricardi)
5:10 p.m. Women's 3,000 Steeplechase (Lois Ricardi)